Could you give up kale for a month?

Could you give up kale for a month? Here are some interesting reasons to look at your kale consumption.

I can admit it: I love kale. My love for this dark-and-leafy has little to do with its superfood hype. Kale is delicious, versatile, and easy to make. It’s hearty and comforting. So when Jill Ettinger at our sister site Eat Drink Better said she had given up kale for a month, I was intrigued.

There are some questions about whether eating kale is as healthy as we thought. Overdoing it in the kale department could be bad for your kidneys. Kale is also not as nutritious as its humbler cousin the collard green when it comes to nutrients like iron and protein.

So, what did Jill discover when she gave up kale for a month? A world of other vegetables that she’d been inadvertently neglecting! Jill describes, “Sauteed cabbage with a little fresh lemon, salt and crushed pepper is incredibly satisfying (and a lot less expensive than kale). Swiss chard and zucchini are scrumptious stir-fried in olive oil and soy sauce and served atop brown rice (old hippie habits die hard). We made cauliflower steaks that were so tender and crispy that I a little bit felt like I would leave kale for its mild cousin forever.”

Don’t get me wrong. We love kale around here, and we’re not going to quit it anytime soon. The major take-away from Jill’s experience, I think, is a lesson in moderation, right? It’s possible to overdo it, even with healthy foods.

What do you guys think? Could you give up kale for a month? How much kale do you tend to eat in a week?

photo credit: Nokton via photopin cc