Turmeric Kale Chips – Healthy Snack

When I have guests over for movie nights, I love preparing all sorts of healthy snacks. Friends especially enjoy my homemade healthy popcorn. A fan favorite among my guests are kale chips. Kale chips is one of the best ways to introduce kale into your family’s diet. My kids absolutely love them! If you haven’t already hopped onto the kale bandwagon, here are some reasons why you should.

Kale

When it comes to superfoods, my absolute favorite is kale. There are countless reasons why kale is amazing. For one, it’s one of the most nutrient dense foods out there. Kale is the best source of vitamin K: just one cup will give you over 10 times your daily intake of vitamin K. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese and copper.

It is also a very good source of vitamin B6, fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, vitamin E, vitamin B2, magnesium, vitamin B1, protein, phosphorus, omega-3, vitamin B3 and folate. Very few foods can match the nutrient richness of Kale!

That’s not all! Researchers have identified over 45 flavonoids in kale which contribute to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The antioxidant effect of kale prevents oxidative stress. Oxidative stress leads to chronic inflammation, one of the main risk factors for cancer. While studies exclusively on kale are few, the few studies that have included kale have found that cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale etc.) reduces the risk of lung, breast, colorectal, bladder and prostate cancer.

See why this is my favorite superfood? But that’s not all. There’s another superfood in this recipe that makes these kale chips even better!

Turmeric

This isn’t your average kale chip recipe. It makes use of turmeric, not only to give it a cheesy color, but to boost kale’s anti-inflammatory powers even more! Where does turmeric get its anti-inflammatory effects? It might come as a surprise to you, but the very compound that gives turmeric its orange-yellow color is where many of its health benefits come from. This compound is known as curcumin. Curcumin is also known for its ability to treat prediabetes! Studies have found that turmeric taken internally and applied topically are effective for treating chronic inflammation and arthritis.

This recipe for turmeric kale chips look cheesy, but it contains no dairy. Instead, you’ve got nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy taste, turmeric to give colour, and coconut oil to help it all bind. Turmeric Kale Chips are vegan and paleo-friendly which makes them great for sharing with just about anyone!

Turmeric Kale Chips Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes (in oven) or 2 hours (in dehydrator)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of organic kale leaves, washed and drained
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Mix turmeric and coconut oil in a small bowl.
2. Place kale leaves in a large bowl, pour the oil mixture over the leaves and mix well.
3. Sprinkle the yeast, sea salt and garlic powder evenly over the kale.
4. Bake in oven at 300 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes. Take care to flip the chips and remove them as they become crispy.

If you also have a food dehydrator like my in-laws do, you can prepare this without using your oven. Just pop the seasoned kale leaves in your dehydrator at 160 degrees for about 1 ½ – 2 hours. It may be an investment to get a dehydrator, but your kale chips will come out tasting much better this way.

Try this health-boosting turmeric kale chips recipe out the next time you have guests over!

Source: healthy-holistic-living.com