Kale Chips! Salty Snack Attack!

It's mid-afternoon, and you're craving something salty.

Fresh Kale. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

If you're trying to be healthy, do you grab:
a. A bag of Baked Lays potato chips
b. A handful of salty pretzels
c. A bowl of crispy kale chips

Well, since you know this blog is about whole foods, you better choose crispy kale chips! Who knew the sturdy leafy greens could be made into crispy chips? I discovered this simple recipe when I had an abundance of kale starting to wilt, and needed a quick way to use it up. A Facebook friend said, "Make kale chips!" And, the rest is history! Enjoy!

Crispy Kale Chips

• Kale, washed and dried
• Olive oil
• Coarse sea salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a sharp knife to trim the tough stems from the centers of each leaf of kale. Arrange the kale on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet making sure not to overlap the greens. Spritz the surface of the kale with olive oil, then sprinkle the greens with coarse sea salt.

Bake the kale in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the leaves are dry and crisp. After the chips cool, enjoy! They will stay fresh in an air-tight container for up to two days -- if you don't finish eating them all in one sitting!

Have you made kale chips? Let me know of any other seasonings you used. I'd like to experiment, but haven't ventured that far yet. Also, have you ever tried making chips from other greens? Please share in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living
Visit me on Facebook!

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Juicing 101: 5 Tips for Tasty, Healthy Juice

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

I love my juicer! I've had it for a few years and have learned much about tossing fruits and veggies in that little spout. Here are five tips for creating tasty juice.

1. Always peel citrus fruits before juicing. The white pith on the underside of the fruit skin makes homemade juice taste bitter.

2. After washing carrots, you can juice the whole thing: greens and all!

3. Mixing fruits and vegetables is a good thing. Some vegetables are bland or bitter when juiced. Try adding an apple to sweeten your veggie drink.

4. Only make as much juice as you'll drink in a day, or a serving. The longer you store the juice, the less nutrients it retains.

5. Don't throw away fibrous vegetable remains inside the juicer. Use this to make soup stock!

Do you have tips for making great, fresh juice? Please share in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living
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What is Food Irradiation?

Since I've decided to eat healthier, I read a lot of food labels. One term I come across frequently is irradiation. So, I decided to scout around and see what I could learn about this food processing procedure.

In simplified terms, irradiation is the treatment and preservation of foods with gamma rays, electron beams and x-rays. In the United States, foods processed with irradiation are labeled by the EPA with the Radura symbol or a line of text mentioning irradiation.

(Radura logo courtesy of the USDA, Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Irradiation :

• kills disease-causing germs
• kills parasites and bacteria that cause food born illnesses including E. coli and Salmonella
• does not mean foods are clean. Irradiated foods should still be washed before eating. They may get dirty during transportation to the grocery store.
• increases the shelf of fresh produce, inhibits mold growth and reduces sprouting

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Irradiation:

• does not make food radioactive or change the nutritional value of food
• does not eliminate all food dangers.
• makes old produce appear "fresh" and eliminates the "rancid" odor of decomposing produce
• is not applied to organic foods

So, how do you feel about eating food treated with irradiation? I can't imagine the nutritional value of irradiated foods isn't diminished. I've love to read some credible, not government-based, research about the nutrition of irradiated foods. Please share your comments and links to additional resources below. Thank you!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Eating Raw Honey

Sometimes the hubby and I like to splurge on an "odd" food purchase. Once, we almost bought a 4-foot long piece of raw sugar cane. But, we decided the dogs would think it's a toy and chew on it before we could learn how to use it.

Honeycomb. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Last week we ventured into the world of raw honey. In the realm of health foods, I know raw honey isn't too strange, but it was a first for us. First of all, it's expensive! I think it was about $12 for a square the size of an everyday, lunch bag sandwich.

But, we love to try new things, so we splurged. Plus, honey is one of nature's perfect whole foods!

Raw honey is delicious. I commented the flavor reminded me of smelling flowers; This was clover honey, so I wasn't too far off. Chewing on the honeycomb is a little strange. It was chewy like gum, but waxy at the same time. I love beeswax in cosmetics, so maybe I should save the comb instead of eating it.

What else did we learn? Raw honey (including the honeycomb) melts in a cup of hot tea. It forms a weird waxy ring around the perimeter of your cup making the tea difficult to drink.

Have you ever eaten raw honey with the honeycomb? I'd love to learn some new ways to eat this sweet treat! Please share your tips in the comments below! Otherwise, I'm just going to keep nibbling on that square bit by bit...

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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