Kale is great for babies from 8 months onwards

Kale has often been considered by many people to be the most healthy food on the planet, have you heard it being called that? Well, yes it is very high in nutrients that's for sure! Like most of the other green leafy vegetables, they're great raw and cooked, and are full of nutrition (especially considering how low in calories they are - not that we worry about that with our babies!).

Kale Nutritional Information

One cup of kale will give you 3g of protein, and meet your baby's nutritional needs of vitamins A, C and K. Even if you only got 1/4 of a cup into your child's meal, that is still a solid punch of nutrients in each mouthful!

What else makes kale amazing?

High in lutein – important for eye health

Has been found to be very nutritious when cooked with lentils in providing a vast mineral content as well as pre-biotics for a healthy gut - and I am all about a healthy gut from the very beginning!

Steamed kale binds with bile in the gut to support your gall bladder function and digestion, as well as detox as part of overall liver function (great in this modern day environment where we breathe, absorb and eat toxins all day long)

Kale has been shown to impact the way you detox from a genetic level. This has only been discovered in a handful of foods, the other one being turmeric.

Highest in Vit K, A and C

Smaller amounts of EFA Omega 3s, B vitamins and iron (less than 10% recommended daily)

High in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory - a great food to add in if you’re wanting to eat an anti-inflammatory diet

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from kale's glucosinolates have been shown to help regulate detox activities in our cells. It helps Phase 1 and 2 of detox!

The ITCs make from kale's glucosinolates should help protect our stomach lining from bacterial overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori (this is the bug that is associated with stomach ulcers) and should help avoid too much clinging by this bacterium to our stomach wall.

Kale can block the uptake of iodine which might lead to thyroid problems, if you have too much of it! So there’s always a balance even with healthy foods!

Enjoying Kale - for you and your baby

Some of you might like raw kale, but I definitely do not! As with all leafy greens, kale can be eaten raw - chop and put into a salad, throw a few leaves into your smoothies (or if you're turning smoothies into iceypoles), or even make raw kale chips (here's a recipe for you).

If you're cooking it, you can add it to a pan with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and add some lemon juice at the end - it can make the perfect side dish. If giving to a baby, be sure to puree it enough that they won't get a stringy leaf stuck in their throat. You can also cook it without the garlic if your little one has a sensitive tummy.

Words of warning with kale consumption

Kale is high in compounds that can hinder thyroid function. It may also block iodine absorption, which is needed for healthy thyroid function. If you are a sensitive person, or have thyroid/adrenal issues, please don't overdo it on the kale. While small doses will be beneficial, high doses (such as daily juicing or smoothies) have the potential to reduce thyroid function.

It can also be quite bitter, and children can struggle with the taste if you put too much kale into their meals. It’s best to put small pieces of the leaves and serve in a way that blends the kale with other vegetables to provide the nutritional benefits without the bitter taste.