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Kale

Kale grows well in the UK, so is often seasonal and always cheap. It can be used in place of other leafy greens, but usually needs a little longer cooking time as it is tougher than spinach or chard. If your kids aren’t too sure about bitter, wilted greens, kale crisps with their crispy saltiness can be a great option. Just toss torn kale leaves (remove stalks) with a little oil and salt and bake for just 5 mins until crispy!
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Kale has been very trendy with the hipster kids recently. This may be because it rhymes with more words than any other vegetable (you try rhyming aubergine). So every time you eat it you can break out your best rhyme. Here’s ours:  hail, hail, the mighty kale, it’s so curly, it can never fail!

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Nutrition

Kale is a leafy green vegetable and contains vitamins (K and C), minerals (manganese, calcium and iron) in addition to polyphenols and fibre.

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Shopping Guide

Look out for kale that has fresh, crisp leaves and avoid those that are limp and yellow.

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Storage

To store kale, just keep it dry and in the fridge for up to a week.

Preparation

To prep kale – if on the stalk break the leaves off, trim away the tough centre stalk, wash thoroughly and chop. If you find kale slightly bitter, try massaging it for a few minutes in some olive oil before cooking as this helps to release some of its bitter compounds. You can steam, boil or sauté you kale or if you like it crunchy try baking it with some salt and pepper to sprinkle into your salads.

Kids in the Kitchen

For a younger child, why not get them to wash the kale by separating out the leaves and giving them a good wash and dry? If they want to do more, can they help pull the leaves off the stems and tear into small pieces? Or try “massaging” the kale by drizzling the torn leaves in a bowl with some dressing or oil and lemon juice and scrunching with clean hands until it softens – it’s a great hands on activity for kids and makes kale much easier and nicer to eat!

For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to practise some essential knife skills using the claw grip to roughly chop the leaves. If they want to try helping you on the stove, they could pop torn leaves into a pan with some butter and garlic or soy sauce and a splash of water and cover the pan, checking every now and then to stir until it is soft and lovely!

Find more ideas for involving kids in the kitchen here.

Sensory

Try exploring kale by comparing regular kale with cavolo nero (commonly called “dinosaur kale”). What does it look like? How does it feel? What colours can you see? Does it remind you of anything? Does it have a smell? Try biting through the leaves and stems separately, or snapping them by your ear if not up to trying them, and see if the leaves or stems sound crunchier.

Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!

Serving

Next time you make a meal that includes kale, why not ask your child to help you with one small step in the preparation of the kale (maybe stripping the leaves from the stems), then see if they want to help you serve it as “their” meal. Perhaps they could help lay the table and even create a fun centrepiece, maybe with all green objects to reflect the kale’s colour?

Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.

Activities

Why not try making an edible jungle or forest scene using kale leaves for trees and other veg for details on a plate or tray? Or try drawing a close up kale leaf by observing it under a magnifying glass to get the veins, lines and leaves just right!

Kids more into science? Explore kale by investigating the leaves, veins, stems and colours of them with a magnifying glass. If you can, try buying both regular kale and “dinosaur kale” (cavolo nero). Can you see how cavolo nero got that nickname? What’s the texture and colour difference between the two types? How are they similar? Another fun science experiment is to get some kale, wash and dry it, strip the leaves from the stems and tear the leaves into pieces in a large bowl, then pour over some dressing or oil and lemon juice, and use you hands to “massage” the kale for about 5-10 mins, or until you feel the texture change and soften. Look at the kale before “massaging” and after – how has it changed? What do you think has happened? Does it taste different or feel different, too?

You can find more at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.

Find loads more free veg-themed crafts here and games here.

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Seasonality

Buying veg in season is not only great for the planet, it can be good for your wallet, too! Kale is at its best over autumn and winter, so look for it then for the tastiest and cheapest ones.

Coming In:

July

At Its Best:

August - March

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Your Food

Kale is bitter and can be tough, so it can be a hard sell for a lot of kids! It’s amazing what a little ‘massaging’ with oil and lemon juice can do for it’s tough texture – do this for 5-10 mins and you’ll have chewy, softer kale. Or for those who prefer a crunch, it’s hard to beat the addictiveness of kale crisps! For kids who like things soft though, cooking it in stews or as a side slow cooked with some butter and garlic or soy sauce is an easier sell. Find some inspiration below…

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Mac ‘N’ Cheese

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Everyday Curry

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Sausage and Mash

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Jacket Potato with Toppings

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Lasagne

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Pasta Bake

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Roast

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Shepherd’s Pie

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More Recipes

Hugh’s Mushroom & Kale Lasagne

Effort: 3
Complexity: 3
Cost: 1

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Aaron’s Kale & Banana Shake

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 3

Aaron Craze

The Hairy Bikers’ Winter Vegetable Soup

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
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Si King & Dave Myers (The Hairy Bikers)

Henry & Ian’s Winter Roots Salad

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Henry Firth & Ian Theasby (Bosh!)

5 Simple Salad Dressings

Effort: 1
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Claire Wright

Mimi’s All Green Soup

Effort: 2
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Mimi Spencer

5-Minute Kale Crisps

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Claire Wright

Jennifer’s Spaghetti Bolognese with Kale

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Jennifer John

Kale

If You Like…Try

Does your child enjoy kale? That’s great! Kale is usually bitter and chewy, so why not try a similar texture and/or taste…

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Serving

The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it!

The first thing to do is remove the pressure. If the veg doesn’t get eaten, it’s not the end of the world. There will be other days, other dinners, other chances. Fun is key here – try not to worry about mess, perfect table manners, or playing with food. Instead, focus on making the process of getting the food to the plates, readying the table, and the actual eating relaxed.

The best principles for success here are the Three Rs (role modelling, rewarding, re-offering) which you can read about here.

But there is one more way you can serve for success, and that is giving your child a role. You don’t have to do this every time, just encourage them in their strengths through it when you can.

Here are some of our favourite ideas:

Design a menu

Come up with a silly name or story for a dish

Help with making a meal plan and choosing veg for dinners or snacks

Help to serve up the meal on dishes, lay the table or create a centrepiece to be involved in the physical ‘serving up’ process

The Wonderful World of Veg

Check out our vegepedia. When to buy in-season. How to store them to keep for longer. How to engage children with each veg, and simple ideas of how to prepare and cook them for maximum taste and minimum waste. Select a veg…

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