Kale is one of the newer superfood leafy greens we’re all starting to love, and it can be a big part of your green juicing plans too. Though you might not think about juicing when you look at the tough leaves and heavy stems of kale, but it does make a fantastic green juice you should try. Juicing kale is something that you should really use with a cold-press juicer, such as the Healthy Juicer. Yes, you can use your “regular old juicer” on it, but you will be wasting tons of juice and lose out on a lot of nutrition due to the heat build up!
Vitamins and Minerals
We should probably start with the obvious nutritional benefits in kale, as the many vitamins and minerals.
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Most B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, niacin, folate)
- Vitamin K
- Calcium
- Copper
- Iron
A quarter cup serving of kale juice (that’s about 2 shots) will provide you with more than your RDA for vitamin C, A, K and copper. You’ll also get around 10% of your daily requirement for iron and calcium from those 2 oz of kale juice too.
Curious about the copper? It’s not the most common nutrient to brag about but it’s a vital element that your body needs. Having healthy copper levels means you can utilize that iron better, for strong oxygenated blood. It can also help with tissue healing and help to balance any thyroid problems.
More Nutrients
And the parade of nutrients doesn’t stop there. Antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids are abundant in kale juice, and they are the compounds you need to help flush out the toxins in your body and reduce inflammation. Another lovely nutrient in kale juice is omega-3 fatty acid, another compound known to help bring down inflammation in the body.
Kale is also one of the great greens for adding protein, something you don’t often realize when thinking about leafy veggies. There is a whole gram of protein in every ounce of kale juice. And if you are following a diet with only plant-based protein, then every gram counts.
One thing you’re not getting from kale juice is calories. Those same 2 ounces we’ve been talking about will only add about 10 calories to your diet.
Tips for Juicing Kale
For one thing, you don’t need to trim away the stems before you juice your kale. You can use the whole stalk, stems and all. In fact, if you are cooking kale as a green vegetable for other meals and cutting out the stems, you should probably save them to add to your next batch of juice. You don’t want to waste good nutrition, do you?
As with other leafy greens, you’ll want to be using the right kind of juicer for kale. A centrifugal style juicer will not break down the tough leaves but a cold pressed juicer will work just great.
One last point about juicing kale. The taste can be notably bitter. Plan your juice blends to have no more than 1 oz of kale per serving, and add lots of bold flavors to hide the kale. That said, don’t be scared to give this potent green juice a try in your next blend recipe. It’s worth it.
