Fitness Secret Weapon: Kale

This is Fitness Secret Weapon: Kale. We all know we should eat our vegetables, especially dark leafy greens. It’s absolutely true and kale is perhaps the single best thing that you could include in your diet other than adequate protein. Simply put, kale is a nutritional powerhouse: it’s rich in fiber and is a great source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as manganese and copper, which is a nutrient that can be difficult to get enough of in your diet. Additionally, it’s packed with cancer and inflammation fighting phytonutrients as well as having more protein than any other cultivated vegetable, making it the ideal ally to your New Jersey physical training.

However, if you’re not that handy in the kitchen, you might find yourself staring at a bunch of kale and wondering just what to do with this vegetable. It’s easier (and more versatile) than you may think. Once you clean it, you can roll the leaves up into a cigar-like shape, slice it into ½” pieces and steam or sauté it. Seasoned with a little salt, pepper, garlic and a splash of red wine vinegar, it’s delicious all by itself or as an accompaniment to almost any meal.
Of course, there’s a lot more that you can do with kale. You can chop it into larger pieces, toss it with oil and sea salt and bake it into kale chips (a much healthier and more nutritious alternative to potato or tortilla chips). You can also massage raw kale with a pinch of salt and make it the main ingredient in a salad along with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, tomatoes and a mashed avocado and lemon juice dressing, which is both delicious and on a lot of restaurant menus these days, both in northern New Jersey as well as on the other side of the Hudson.
You might think that any green vegetable is just as good, but you’d be wrong, as any professional New Jersey personal trainer can tell you. Iceberg lettuce is no match for dark leafy greens like kale, which are beneficial for almost every part of your body, not to mention weight loss, bodybuilding and any other fitness goals you might have. If better health is what you want, kale deserves a regular place at your table starting today.