Kale and Healthy Fats

Believe it or not, kale contains fat--about 0.6g per 1 cup serving. It also contains all of the wonderful vitamins and minerals that you see above (plus some at the bottom of this post). For most of us, the hype about kale is old news, but there are so many people still learning about the benefits of kale and jumping on the bandwagon. I love seeing newbies incorporating kale into their diet and I have a lot of fun bringing my garlicky kale to cookouts instead of processed chips and dips. But back to this kale having fat thing...

Fat is essential for the absorption of vitamin and minerals. This is one of the reasons why it is not advised to eat salads with fat-free dressings, and/or without a healthy fat source. Read about it here. It is also a great reason to include a healthy fat source into all of your meals, especially juices and smoothies when fasting. The recommendation is at least 5g of fat to aid in nutrient absorption, which can easily be obtained with a plethora of options. Some of these healthy fat options might include:

Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans: 8 nuts
Chia Seeds: 2 tbsp.
Ground Flaxseeds: 2 tbsp. (flaxseeds must be ground or milled for absorptive benefits)
Sunflower Seeds: 1/4 C.
Sesame Seeds: 1 tbsp.
Pumpkin Seeds: 1 tbsp.
Avocado: 1/4 fruit
Nut Spreads: 1 tsp.
Edamame/Soy Beans: 2/3 C.
Tofu: 1/2 C. or 1/3 block
Nut Milks: 12oz.
Olive Oil: 1 tsp.
Olives: 8 fruits
Coconut Oil: 1 tsp.
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: 1/4 C.
Dark Chocolate (70%+ cocao): 1 square

I recommend incorporating these types of fats on the regular, and ridding your household of processed foods that contain unhealthy saturated and trans fats. In addition to incorporating these fats into your daily meals, also gradually cleanse your household of fatty junk food (chips and processed sweets). There has never been any clearer correlation to unhealthy processed foods and chronic illness and disease.

Other beneficial vitamins and minerals that come with kale, but are not included above are: vitamin D E K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, omega-3 & 6 fatty acids, calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium.