Kale has always been a challenging vegetable for kids to eat, let alone like. I’ll be honest, Kale wasn’t even on my radar for years. Now I see piles of different varieties of this beautiful vegetable at the farmers market and my fingers itch to bring them all home to my family. There is Tuscan Kale (also known as Dinosaur Kale or Cavolo Nero), Curly Kale and even a variety with vibrant purple edges.
But—my kids wouldn’t touch Kale with a ten-foot pole. Enter the “Kale Chip”. Once I decided to bake the Kale and call it “Olive Oil Crisps” (the first key to our kid-friendly Kale introduction) – our lives around Kale changed forever. Presenting a large bowl full of the delicate “Crisps” to hungry kids before dinner was also helpful. I watched as they tentatively picked up a crisp, eyed it skeptically and slowly placed it in their mouth. Then I left the room and watched from afar (the final key to successful Kale acceptance). Thinking I was no longer paying attention, they polished off the entire bowl, apparently enjoying every bite.
Without much fanfare, I later mentioned that the olive oil crisps were made with Kale. The hard part was over. They tried them – and liked them – so hearing the term “Kale” didn’t phase them. The next time, I simply called them Kale Crisps – and the rest is history.
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Olive Oil (Kale) Crisps
Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: a couple of hungry kids
Special Equipment: Baking sheet lined with foil
Ingredients:
- 3 cups roughly torn Kale (any variety, tough stem removed)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash Kale and dry well. (the drier the Kale, the quicker the cook time)
- Place torn Kale on foil lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake until crisp (the length of time will vary based on the dryness of the Kale. (Begin checking at 12 minutes and continue every 2-4 minutes)
- Serve.
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Next week we’ll transition Kale from snack to kid-friendly meal with a recipe sure to please even the youngest family members. Until next week…
When I make kale chips I make a TON (about 4 batches) I found that they stay fresh in a brown paper lunch bag. I bag them in serving size for the boys and they can grab and go
I have made these before and they r SO good! I add some garlic powder too for some extra flavour
Jeff Wise: I also have found this to be true! To me kale chips are the best hot right out of the oven! In fact mine don’t always make it to a bowl haha
Would these turn out without any oil?
I’ve never tried without oil, but definitely give it a try and let us know how they turn out!
We made organic kale chips a few weeks ago and they actually tasted very good fresh. We found that after a day they smelled and tasted a bit different. When we try it again I’ll make sure we only make enough to eat it in the one day.
My kids love Kale Chips too! It’s a great way to get them to eat real food, even when they are sometimes picky.
We LOVE kale chips in our house. Healthy + tasty is always welcome.
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