Kale

- [Instructor] Incorporating healthy foods into your diet doesn't have to be overwhelming.

Through the Penn State Extension Nutrition Links Video Series, you'll learn how to buy, store, cook, and enjoy a variety of produce.

In this video we will look at kale.

Kale is usually dark green.

You may also hear about dinosaur kale, sometimes called black kale, which is dark bluish-green and has a sweeter taste.

Other varieties include scarlet kale, which has green leaves and red veins.

Kale is mostly available in the fall, however, it may also be found in winter or spring.

Kale has 35 calories per serving, which is either one cup of raw kale or one half cup of cooked kale.

It is a great source of vitamin A and vitamin C.

It is also a good source of calcium and potassium, which helps with lowering the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, and which helps the immune system work properly.

You can eat kale raw or cooked.

Raw kale has more vitamin C in it.

But cooked kale still provides us with almost half of our daily needs of vitamin C.

When selecting kale, choose dark colored bunches with small to medium sized leaves.

Avoid kale with brown or yellow leaves.

To store it, wash unwrapped kale in damp paper towels, and place it in a plastic bag and store it in the vegetable crisper in your refrigerator.

Use kale within five days.

The longer you store kale, the stronger and more bitter its flavor becomes.

Before preparing kale, first rinse it under running water to remove any dirt.

Preparing fresh kale for various recipes is simple.

Kale can be enjoyed in many ways, such as kale chips and soups.

Salads are a great way to use kale since it makes a good substitute for spinach or lettuce.

The baked kale frittata dish is a delicious meal that you can make for your family.

For this recipe, you will need three cups kale, this can be fresh or canned, one cup onion, one half teaspoon chopped fresh garlic, one tablespoon of oil, one half cup water, six eggs, one half cup milk, one half cup cheddar cheese, one quarter teaspoon pepper.

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Next, spray a pan with nonfat vegetable cooking spray.

Rinse and drain the kale using a colander.

Remove the stems and chop the kale.

Peel and chop the onion.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic.

Cook for three to five minutes, stirring until the onions are soft.

Stir in the kale and water.

Cover and cook for five minutes, then remove the pan from the stove.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, shredded cheese, and pepper.

Then add the onion and kale to this mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared nine inch round baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Once the frittata reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the oven and let it set for two to three minutes.

Slice it into wedges and enjoy.

This recipe is a great source of vitamin A and C and protein and it also has a good source of calcium and dietary fiber.

So remember, dark green kale is the best to choose at the store.

And it's most common in fall.

You can eat it cooked or raw, and raw has more vitamins.

For more information on kale, other Pennsylvania produce, and the Nutrition Links program, visit the Penn State Extension website.