Kale is for kids too!

   December 28th, 2017             Wellness

The little red barn’s veggie of the month is Kale!

With all of the health benefits and great pinterest recipes out there, It’s not surprising that kale is such a hot topic right now, and if you get really creative, you can fit this leafy green goodness into your child’s menu too!

Packed full of vitamin A,K,C, iron, calcium and potassium, kale is the perfect addition to your little ones diet. It is safe for infants over 9 months old and can be incorporated into a juice or smoothie, baked into cookies or pancakes, blended into a dip, dehydrated or roasted to make yummy chips, sautéed into a stir fry or eggs or baked into a casserole. The list goes on and on, and any picky eater can be tricked into eating healthy when you have fun with ingredients, especially when they get to help make it!

To our little farmers club members, don’t forget to pick up your kale seeds so that you can grow it at home. For everyone else, head to your local nursery to pick up some kale seeds and follow along. We will be giving a monthly prize to the best kale planting photo on instagram using #thelittlefarmersclub so be sure to post and hashtag photos of every stage of your gardening adventures!

Here is a great recipe to get you started on your kale mission.

KALE BANANA MUFFINS (This recipe is from veggingattheshore.com)

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 cups kale
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine egg through vanilla extract in a blender or food processor until well blended. In a mixing bowl combine flour through salt with a whisk. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon. Will be thick, like a pancake batter. Spoon mixture into muffin tin that has been greased or sprayed with cooking spray. If making mini muffins cook for 12 minutes. If making regular muffins, cook for 17 muffins. Cool and enjoy!

Have a kale recipe you would like to share? Please email us at thelittleredbarnplayground@gmail.com