Tag Archives: Kale

September 15, 2012 · 10:24 am

Dehydratin’ Away…

So the hubby and I are pretty much inseparable. We work together, we live together (obviously), and we go places together. It’s awesome. And the dog ain’t far behind.

I mean, look at that face. Would you leave her? Exactly.

But this week, I have a new best friend. Her name is Excalibur.

That’s right. Health Coach Jillian is dehydratin’ the bejesus out of anything she can get her hands on with her new 5-tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator. It’s BPA-free and phthalate-free.

But if the hubby feels threatened, he has only himself to blame. (And maybe two employees at Whole Foods.) All three commented on my out of control addiction to kale chips. All of them said, “Why don’t you make your own?”

The first time I got the question I replied, “Whenever I make kale chips in the oven, they burn.”

But last time I got the question, I fielded it differently. “MY DEHYDRATOR IS ON ITS WAY TO ME!! I JUST ORDERED IT!”

Okay, maybe the cashier was unprepared for that level of enthusiasm, but he asked and with my Excalibur en route, I was excited. Super excited.

So now I’m trying anything that sounds like it will taste good when dried out: apple with cinnamon, strawberries, figs, carrots, zucchini, and of course, kale.

Now, one might wonder what the point is. Don’t we want the water that’s in these foods? Sure!

And when you eat dehydrated food you should drink water to rehydrate. So it seems totally pointless, right?

Not exactly.

I keep the temperature on 105F so the foods are still technically raw, but cooked. Cooking with high heat destroys much of the nutrients in food, but at this temperature, I’m preserving the nutrients and the live enzymes that are in raw food. And I get on-the-go healthy snack food – like carrot chips and zucchini chips. This way, I can make some healthy concoctions instead of always eating cold food out of the fridge. But mostly, I just eat truckloads of kale chips.

Finally, I gotta give a special shout out to the Mom and Dad – my new bestie is a result of some birthday cashola (yes, HCJ gets older in the summertime). Thanks, guys! I’m having a blast with my new toy!

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Filed under BPA, Chemicals, Fruit, Health, Organic, Raw, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Water

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July 12, 2012 · 8:23 am

Food Finds, Part 1

I’m pleased to report that I’ve been trying some new foods out these days…doing a little test run of products…and finding some gems!

I’m pretty picky when I read those ingredient lists. So, my basic requirements are as follows:

  • must have some protein
  • must be gmo-free
  • must be low in sugar and sodium
  • no agave
  • no soy
  • organic
  • still tasty!

So, here’s Part 1 of what I’ve found…

RAW KALE CHIPS
Alive & Radiant Kale Krunch makes kale chips so much more than I ever thought they could be.

I am seriously addicted to their Quite Cheezy flavor. The Chipotle flavor is also delicious if you like a little spice to your food.

These are great to take on the go – easy, healthy, and completely guilt-free. With only a few fantastic ingredients, they clock in at 100 calories, 4g of protein per serving, and 7g of fat (1.5g saturated). Sodium is higher than I’d like at 260mg, but kind of worth it. 😉

I’m also loving Lydia’s Organics Kale Krunchies. I get the Mega Green flavor, which has a little kick to them. For the same serving size, these have only 50 calories, 3g of fat (.5g saturated), 80mg of sodium, and 2g of protein.

Both options are raw, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and organic.

GRAIN-FREE CRACKERS
Lydia’s Organics also makes some tasty grain-free crackers. The Luna Nori Crackers are delicious on their own or with avocado spread on them.

Each serving (3 crackers) is 140 calories, 6g of fat (1g saturated), 120mg of sodium, and a whopping 5g of fiber and 6g of protein.

These are also gluten-free, raw, organic, and vegan.

All fats in these products are coming from heart healthy sources – nuts and seeds. Most, if not all, of these items should be available at your Whole Foods. Or click on the pics to buy online!

And make sure to check back tomorrow for Part 2!

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Filed under Agave, Gluten-free, GMO-free, Health, Organic, Product Review, Products, Raw, Snacks, Superfoods, Vegan, Vegetables

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