In my constant endeavours to eat healthy food; snacks are often my undoing.
When I feel like something savoury, instead of eating high-fat potato chips or nuts, or loading up on high GI carbs, like rice crackers, I’ve found a healthy alternative – home-made kale or kalette chips.
Kale is part of the cabbage family. It’s high in protein, low in calories and among the most nutrient dense foods on earth. Of the little fat it has, most of it is good omega-3 fatty acid. Eating more kale is a perfect way to intensely increase the total nutrient content of your diet.
A Kalette is a cross between a brussel sprout and kale and my local supermarket sells them in a packet with about 12 – 15 inside. When making chips they hold their shape better and don’t shrink down as much as kale and have a delicious mild nutty flavour.
I suggest you get either two packets of kalettes or two bunches of kale as it all reduces down to a fraction of its origin size during cooking.
- Don’t wash kale or kalettes.
- Pre-heat oven 170-180C
- Kale; trim heavy stalks, cut or tear leaves into pieces and place on baking trays
- Kalettes; cut in half, then quarters and trim off remaining hard core and place on baking trays
- Spray kale or kalettes lightly with Olive Oil
- Sprinkle with favourite seasoning like chilli or turmeric or a good quality salt
- Bake for around 10 – 12 minutes (longer for kalettes)
- Don’t overcrowd the trays and keep turning them so they dry out and go crisp without burning.
- You’ll end up eating heaps while cooking them.
- Enjoy them as a snack or the kale chips are yummy crumbled over pasta, fish or in salads.
About The Author - Susie Elelman
Susie Elelman is an Australian television presenter, radio broadcaster, and author, most famous for her appearances on daytime television in Australia. She has been an ambassador of the Australian Menopause Centre since 2016 and it is a pleasure to have such an influential figure support our work.