The New Potato Chip Is Made From Kale

In this posting, I provide a delicious alternative to potato chips.  Don't tell the kids, but they are also very healthy.

King Potato Chip

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American eats about sixty-five pounds of potatoes each year.  About fourteen pounds of these potatoes are used to make potato chips -- or about 4 pounds of chips per person after cooking.

I love potato chips and I'm not going to give up eating them anytime soon.  However, I want to make you aware of a healthier substitute you can easily make at home.  And the really amazing news is that you don't have to give up the yummy, salty crunchy taste to get that extra nutrition.

Enter Kale

Regular readers of this blog, know that I'm a big fan of kale.  This vegetable packs a power-punch when it comes to nutrition.  It's without question the most nutritious veggie you can eat.  If you compare the nutritional information for equal quantities of potatoes and kale, it's clear that kale is the champion; while delivering about the same amount of protein as the potatoes, Kale gives you 70 times more vitamin A and 7 times more vitamin C. 

Recipe for Kale Chips

Kale chips are incredibly easy to make and remarkably delicious.  These chips come out of the oven super thin and crispy.  I strongly encourage you to give them a shot.  Here's a basic recipe and a few variations on the theme:

Ingredients

• 1 head of kale. 
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt or kosher salt

Basic Recipe:

• Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Wash and thoroughly dry the kale.
• Remove the ribs of the kale and cut the leaves into 2 inch pieces (you only use the leafy part in this recipe, no stems)
• Toss the kale pieces, olive oil and salt together in a bowl to coat the kale.
• Place onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp, turning once during the process. (About 20-25 minutes total cook time)

Some Alternative Recipes:

• Spicy Smoky Kale Chips
• Martha Stewart's Sea Salt & Lemon Kale Chips
• Sweet & Salty Kale Chips
  

Comments

[michaele]

I am so going to try this!

[JHawk23]

I definitely want to try this. We too love kale, but had never thought of this way of enjoying it.

Have you tried this yourself? It strikes me that the hardest part of this "easy" recipe may be to "thoroughly dry" it after washing. I wonder how "thorough" we're thinking here.

[H. Mark Delman]

I would recommend using lacinato/dinosaur kale if you have it, but it does work with other kale types.

I wouldnt worry too much about drying it. Do your best .... the oven will do the rest.

One more more thing I should have let people know is that it does not keep well. Its best to eat all in one sitting. Do a bunch or a half bunch and see what works best for you with regard to quantity.

[JHawk23]

I did finally get around to trying this, Mark. First time, I found the amount of salt specified was a bit much (it may depend on the amount of kale you start with of course); second time, cutting down the salt, was perfect.

[H. Mark Delman]

OK, glad you found a ratio that works for you. Thanks for commenting.