Years ago when I lived in upstate New York, I would go shopping for groceries at the local super market.

Being a southern gal, I looked for fresh bunches of collards or turnips but there were none to be found in the market.

I discovered a different green vegetable called Kale. I purchased it and learned to how to cook it for my family. It’s really tasty and we still enjoy eating it.

The popularity of kale has sky-rocketed the last couple of years. Most people think of kale as a fad. Recently, restaurants have started carrying more kale. For example, Chick-Fil-A switched from selling their classic coleslaw to a new side item called the super food. The super food side is a blend of chopped kale and broccoli tossed in a maple vinaigrette dressing and topped with dried sour cherries. This sudden spike in popularity is because people are trying to increase their consumption of nutrients and are looking for a better flavor. The main question asked is, why kale? The better question is, why not?

There are multiple benefits of having kale in your diet. It has low calories and is high in fiber. It has loads of fiber and other essential nutrients. Kale has an abundance of nutrients, vitamin K and A. There are health benefits to eating these green leafy vegetables such as decreasing the chances of getting cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Kale is one of the top healthy foods due to the amount of nutrients it holds. One cup of raw kale contains Vitamins A, K, C and B6, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Potassium and Magnesium. Kale has 33 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of protein. If you are looking to increase your nutrient intake, kale is the way to go.

Besides having an abundance of nutrients, there are multiple health benefits to consuming this super food. Kale contains substances that can help reduce cholesterol such as bile acid sequestrates.

You can mix kale into your diet in a variety of ways. As a salad mixed with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and other fresh ingredients – just add dressing of your choice. Kale chips are a popular, nutritious snack. This can be prepared by drizzling olive oil on top of your kale, add some sea salt and then bake until crispy. Another tasty way consumers add kale to their diet is by adding it to smoothies, stir fry or cook like you would your greens, but not as long. These are just a few of the way to incorporate this nutrient filled food into your diet.