How do you get your kids to eat kale?
This is the age old question.
Okay. I completely understand that there are far more pressing concerns in the whole scheme of life. But this is one that I seem to get asked over and over…so I thought I would devote a post to a sneaky little secret.
Somehow I have managed to convince my kids that kale and other greens are actually pretty cool. It could be some stroke of insane luck, or it could have just been the repeated efforts of shoving it in front of their faces over the years.
Either way, they no longer look at me like I have a third eye or a wart growing on my nose now when I serve them up a hearty kale salad…or when a pile of kale chips shows up on their plates…or when a bright green smoothie happens to accompany their breakfast.
And now that I no longer have to plead my case in order to get them to down those hearty greens, I can look back in retrospect to see how this little miracle came to be.
Of course, I did consistently make batch after batch of Kale chips before I found a version they liked. And I did consistently make pitcher after pitcher of Kale-based smoothies until I finally found a concoction they would drink.
BUT… I came up with an even better idea! Because my husband seems to have a love-affair with my Excalibur 9-tray Dehydrator and because it tends to make an appearance on our counter more often than I would like (and if you ever have seen how much space on a counter these things can take up, you understand my feelings), I happened to one day decide that I could just dehydrate all of my Kale and Chard from the garden, crumble it up, and use it on…well, just about darn-tootin’ everything.
So that’s just what I did.
And then? I sprinkled it here. And I sprinkled it there. I started to sprinkle it everywhere. In eggs, and on pizzas. In pastas and soups. In chicken and tacos. And in any old goop. 😉
{Okay. I will stop channeling my inner Dr. Seuss now and get back to the subject at hand}.
The best part was that no one even thought about what it was. The kids never questioned those tiny green flakes. And as the subtle hint of kale flavor spiked most of their meals, I also noticed that when I served up the actual fresh stuff, they were not so quick to turn their noses at it.
AND…because all of those greens shrink down FROM THIS…
TO THIS….
…that teaspoon of green flakes that you sprinkle on that food will be JAMMED PACKED WITH NUTRITION!!! A little bit goes a looong way.
This powder works awesome in smoothies and is especially perfect for those without a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix or a Blendtech! NO chunky greens left over! You basically have made your OWN Supergreens Nutrition Powder!!
So…I thought I would share my little secret with you here today just so that you, too, can channel your inner Dr. Seuss.
The perfect way to get your kids to EAT KALE (or any greens for that matter). Make your OWN Green Powder!!
Dehydrated Kale (and other Greens)
Ingredients:
1-2 Large Bunches of Kale, Swiss Chard, or Spinach (or a combination of all)
Directions:
- Wash all of your greens thoroughly. Use paper towel or dish towel to pat them as dry as possible.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the center stems (ribs) out of the greens. Save these center stems (ribs) to use when you are making homemade broths or soups for flavor. Or add to smoothies.
- Tear greens slightly, but not too small. Spread in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Or if doing in oven, place on baking sheets.
- Set dehydrator temperature to 140 degrees F for 3 hours. OR, for oven method, set temperature to 200 degrees, or as low as your oven will go, and place baking sheets in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to make sure they cook evenly and do not burn. Check to see that it is crispy at the end of that time. If not, cook for 2-3 more minutes and check again. If still not crispy, set for another 2-3 minutes and check.
- Once nice and crisp, place greens in clean coffee grinder to grind into powder or place between parchment paper and crush with rolling pin. Store in small glass container or spice jar. Stores for about one to two weeks on the counter in an airtight container. Use in and on EVERYTHING!
Okay. So now that you know how to get your kids to eat that kale, I have a surprise for you.
My friend, and ultimate Kale lover, Hallie Klecker of Daily Bites, has created an E-book for you dedicated to all things Kale. Crazy for Kale has over 40 Kale Recipes in it and I want to make sure to let you all know about it.
- Crazy for Kale is available for $5.99.
- It contains 40 recipes – 33 are Paleo/Grain-Free and 31 of them are Vegan or have Vegan Alternatives
- It is absolutely beautiful and the perfect way to give you ideas to add more Kale in your diet!
If you want to discover some fun new ways to incorporate Kale into your diet, then this is the book for you.
Check it out and get your copy today!
Kim Maes, CNC, AADP, known as the Allergy Free Food Coach, is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant and Certified in the Practical Application of Food Allergy Guidelines.. She is also the creator of the Cook It Allergy Free iPhone and iPad Apps and the Cook It Allergy Free website, where she shares her passion for teaching others how easy and delicious it can be to eat whole, pure allergy-friendly meals that the entire family will enjoy.
You are clearly the smartest mom EVER! Well, maybe except for your mom who taught you all her tricks after she had used them on you and your sister. 😉 And I love it when you channel your inner Dr. Seuss! I need a dehydrator, but I have no room for that Excalibur monster. I’d have to add on a room or use it on the screened porch, and any smell of food on the screened porch has the evil squirrels chewing holes right through the screen, But I digress. Great post, Kim! I predict that Hallie’s ebook will be a great success. Novices like me will benefit for sure and kale lovers will be super excited! 🙂
xo,
Shirley
Haha! Well I would LOVE to believe I am the smartest mom EVER… but I know too many other waaaaay smarter ones than I (one of them being you)! LOL… And you are so right…you would just have to add on a room for the Excalibur model. That thing is a beast. I tease the hubby because he loves it so much more than I do. He is always concocting something in it… The other day he made the best apple fruit leathers! I will have to blog about his dehydrating adventures one of these days. 😀 Hope you had a beautiful Easter Weekend! XOXO
If this isn’t a genius mommy idea, I don’t know what IS!, so creative Kim…you rock!
Haha!! Thanks, Tessa! I guess we just have to do whatever works. LOL 😉
I would have never thought of this, what an ingenious idea!!! I’m buying Kale at the store this week!!! THANK YOU!!!
Hi Cassidy! Thanks so much! Good luck to you! This trick also works for picky husbands too. LOL 😉
You are such a genius Kim. I love you and I love this idea so much! Totally doing it. My kids are used to sprinkles on things – usually flax, chia, or seeds. Hehe. Next up – green sprinkles! Wooo!
This is genius Kim! I might even be able to sneak kale by myself with this one 🙂
This is the most clever use of kale EVER. You are brilliant!
Haha!! Thanks, Johnna!! You have to do what ya can to get those nutrients into the kiddos. LOL
Brilliant! Kid Yum loves little sprinkles and is used to nori sprinkles, so I’ll try kale too. I also put kale in everything. The smaller the piece, the less she notices (and less she picks out). I’ve also found she will much on ANYTHING in our garden that I tell her is ok, so lately she’s been pulling off pieces of kale from the plants and chomping on them while wandering around the yard. She’d never deign to eat it raw like that on her plate or in her lunch box, though, but hey. I’m a proud mama anyway. 😉
-Sea
er, she will MuNch on ANYTHING in our garden that I tell her is ok. 😉
To keep it more of a living food, wouldn’t it be better to dehydrate it at a lower temperature? Then you’d get more of the enzymes.
I’m actually running my dehydrator right now with some raw quinoa granola.
For sure, Amanda…You can just keep the dehydrator going for longer. I have done it at even lower than 140 many times. It just takes a couple of hours longer. But yes. You are totally right about it retaining even more of it’s enzymes and live benefits. 😉
Hi, this is probably a stupid question….but do you keep the jar in the fridge or just out in cupboard, etc? Thank you so much for this post….I am going to do this 🙂
Hi Sue. Not a stupid question at all! I actually should go back and update the recipe to include that point. It actually keeps perfectly on the counter for about 2 weeks, but I do usually keep it in the fridge just to keep it fresher for longer. I will go add that to the directions now. Thanks for asking. And no question is stupid around here. 😉
You are GENIUS! Although my kids are grown now, I will be passing this on to them, as they are both trying to eat healthy and clean. I’m also thrilled to have this introduction to your site, as I have recently been diagnosed with more food allergies than I thought I had! It is quite challenging, to say the least, to cook and bake when you have multiple allergies. 🙁
Thanks so much, Beth…and welcome to Cook It Allergy Free. Good luck on your new food allergy journey. Let me know if you ever have any questions! 😉
Thanks. you may regret that last statement! 😉
Haha…I promise I won’t regret it, Beth. 😉 That’s why I do this….
What a brilliant idea!! I’m dying to get my not so little paws on a dehydrater one of these days…
Oh my goodness, so glad I found your website!! When I saw this post I was thrilled, what a great idea! Just found out yesterday we are dealing with milk/egg/cashew allergies so I need to make some big changes. If you have any suggestions/resources that would help my family on this new journey I would be so grateful. We are accustomed to eating a good bit of a whole food diet but now need to make more changes. Thank you!!