Welcome back to the FINAL update of the 12-Month Produce Challenge!
If this is the first time you’ve heard of this challenge, you can read all about it in THIS post.
This challenge was something I wanted to do with my family because I felt like we were stuck in a rut with eating the same vegetables over and over again. Now, after completing an entire year of the challenge, I feel like I’m doing a much better job at giving my family the variety that we all need for our bodies for optimal health.
This challenge helped us discover so many delicious ways to eat in season and pushed us to try foods we normally avoid. In other words, it was a complete success!
December’s Veggie: Kale
In December, my family and I tried kale in 5 different meals. Most of the meals were soup, but we also tried it in pasta and a smoothie. I wanted to try it in brownies, a salad, and stir-fry, but there was a week when I was sick and didn’t make much food at all and then there were the leftovers from Christmas, so I decided not to make those meals.
Why Kale?
I chose kale for the final month of the produce challenge because I’m really not a huge kale fan. I will buy it if I find a recipe that calls for it and it seems really yummy, but otherwise I avoid it.
My Inhibitions About Kale
Kale just doesn’t taste very good (to me and my family). It’s a tough vegetable that is not easy to serve to my family.
How I Used Kale in Our Meals & My Family’s Honest Opinions
In December, my family and I tried kale 5 different ways. We threw it in soup, a smoothie, and pasta. Read on to find out the details of each meal and how we felt about kale overall.
Kale White Bean and Sausage Soup
Kale White Bean and Sausage Soup is a great way to try kale for the first time. I remember making this soup several years ago, and I do believe it was the first time I ever bought kale. I kept the recipe in OneNote (where I keep only my favorite recipes), and I’m not sure why I waited until now to make it again! It’s hearty, flavorful, and so nutritious!
This Kale White Bean and Sausage Soup is truly perfection. I could eat kale all day if it tasted as good as it did in this soup! All my kids liked some parts of it (especially the sausage), and they all had some kale. Even my husband enjoyed it, and he’s not a soup fan.
Turkey {or Chicken} and Brown Rice Soup
Turkey {or Chicken} and Brown Rice Soup is rather easy to make. It’s a wonderful way to use up leftover turkey or chicken you’ve got in your fridge. I made ours with chicken, and it was so easy to make in the Instant Pot. I didn’t use the herbs de Provence called for in the recipe. Instead I just substituted with Italian seasoning.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t as big of a success among the kids as I had hoped, but I liked it.
Roasted Garlic Kale Pesto Pasta
I just love trying pesto with different types of lettuce. In May I made pesto with arugula, and last month I made pesto with kale for this Roasted Garlic Kale Pesto Pasta. If you want this to be a pretty quick meal, roast the garlic and make the pesto ahead of time. Once those two tasks are out of the way, it should take no longer than 20 minutes to make this pasta.
When I served this to my kids, my oldest asked me if the mushrooms were sausage. I wanted to say, “Why, yes, of course. What did you think, I served you a meal without meat??” But then my impulsive need to tell the truth overcame me and I said, “No, those are mushrooms.” And I immediately wanted to shove the words back in my mouth. Because then they all avoided the mushrooms like the plague. Sigh. My husband and I liked it, but maybe next time I’ll add some kind of meat so everyone is happy.
Pineapple Banana Kale Smoothie
In winter, I normally don’t make smoothies since they are cold and just make us feel colder. But I wanted to try this Pineapple Banana Kale Smoothie for the kale challenge. It sounded yummy and nutritious, and I really couldn’t wait to find out what my kids thought of it. If you want to make this, be sure to freeze the pineapple and the banana. It makes all the difference in the world to drink a smoothie nice and cold.
I’m very happy to report that I’m not the only one who liked this particular smoothie. My kids and mother-in-law all really liked it. My daughters were even fighting over who got the last drop out of the blender. And my mother-in-law told me she was a bit skeptical about the kale but she ended up liking it. I think, though, I would rather drink it when it’s a little warmer outside.
Detox Chicken Soup
I really wanted to make this Detox Chicken Soup after Christmas since we tend to indulge ourselves and then end up feeling sick to our stomachs. I actually made it the day before New Year’s Eve and I’m so glad I did. My husband ate two servings of it and said that it truly helped his body detoxify!
I had to make some changes to the soup because I hadn’t been shopping and I wanted to use up food in the house. There was a leek in the fridge that I needed to use, so I used leek instead of onions. I just omited the mushrooms and orzo pasta since I didn’t have any. And instead of cannellini beans, I used a can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) since that’s what I had on hand. Despite all the changes, the soup ended up tasting great and helping us detoxify our systems. My mother-in-law really loved the soup, and she’s not a big fan of kale!
How Much Does Kale Cost?
Kale is priced per bunch. I didn’t count how many leaves are in a bunch, but I’d say about 8. Kale stayed a consistent price of $0.98 per bunch when I bought it last month. I spent a total of $3.92 on 4 bunches in December or about $0.78 per meal (there were 5 meals).
Selecting and Storing Kale
When you are shopping for kale, try to look for a smaller variety that is a deep green color. The larger leaves tend to be stronger in flavor and tough. Don’t buy kale that has brown or yellow leaves.
You should keep kale in a plastic bag in the produce drawer in your fridge. It will last about 4-5 days that way.
Preparing Kale
For pretty much any kale recipe you come across, you’re going to need to remove the tough stem before using the leaves. You can either tear the leaves off or cut them off with a sharp knife. And if you plan to use the kale in a salad, you’ll want to massage the kale, like in this tutorial.
Nutritional Benefits of Kale
Kale is so so good for the body. It is anti-inflammatory, full of antioxidants, an amazing detoxifier, and so much more. Read about all the nutritional benefits in this article about kale on Dr. Axe.
How did this challenge go for you?
My hope is that the monthly produce challenge was a true challenge for you. If it wasn’t, then you need to choose some different vegetables! Seriously, if you want to feed healthier food to your family, continue doing this challenge. Next week I will share my thoughts on the challenge and another 12 months of veggies you can try.
Please share a favorite kale recipe in the comments below!
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