March 25, 2012

Veggie Fact of the Day


Kale is a member of the cabbage family. Unlike some of the other greens, it's leaves are succulent, curly leaves that may range from dark green to a deep blue-green. Tuscan kale, is another variety of Kale which has very long, curly, blue-green leaves with an embossed surface that resembles dinosaur skin, and it is also obviously called dinosaur kale. 

Flowering Purple Kale
Nutritionally, kale is a power food. Its rich in cancer-fighting phytochemicals such as sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, ß-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.  While ß-carotene is converted in the body into Vitamin A, Kale also has a pretty good supply of Vitamins A, K, C and a complex of B vitamins. 

It is also a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Interestingly, unlike a lot of other veggies, kale's nutrition value is supposed to increase when cooked.

No comments:

Post a Comment