Superfoods: Kale and Beans

I am in no way advocating a completely meat-free diet or judging anyone who adheres to one. Years ago I personally worked in a raw, organic, vegan kitchen and it was a lot of fun. I feel that people should be very understanding that it truly is a lifestyle and a lot of work. Being "Vegan" or "Vegetarian" isn't just not eating meat or animal by-products. To be healthy and to safely live a meat-free life you need to supplement correctly with foods that will make up for not eating the sources of some pretty important vitamins and minerals. While no one actually likes to hear that they should eat "fats" it is also a pretty important component to overall health and energy.

In my, so far, short existence I have encountered many different ideas on food and feeding the body. There are many correct ways to make that happen and then there are many detrimentally unhealthy reasons for not being healthy. Since food is such an important part of my life I love getting to talk to people about how and what they eat, and sometimes that isn't the true nature of our conversations. In listening to people and watching them I have learned a little about "some things" and enough for form a small opinion.

Here I would like to share that I myself have struggled with my weight and have tried many different "eating habits" to maintain or control myself for optimum health. Anything you read here is an observation of a wide variety of experiences and an educated guess at best, but generally that is what most sciences are.

The inspiration for this rambling today comes to you via "MindBodyGreen" a health forum I follow on Facebook. I love their posts because they have great ideas along with RELIABLE information. There is nothing more frustrating than reading about something I find on the internet or even in a magazine regarding health, passing that information on to my friends or family, and then finding out I have to track them down to tell them it was wrong. And YES, that is something I DO, just ask The Hunebee! It is very comforting to know that MindBodyGreen does their research keeping their opinions to themselves till they have gotten to the bottom of all the possibilities:)

Today we are not talking about why Animal Meat products are bad, rather what foods you can eat that have as much if not more of the vital nutrients and less of the cholesterol. This is also inspired by the constant struggle I have with picky eaters, staunch childhood diets, and emotional pacifiers. There is a MAJOR balance between food "The Vitality for LIFE" and food "The Hobby."

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6142/All-Hail-Kale-Infographic.html This is a great article from MindBodyGreen with some amazing facts about Kale.

"Did you know that kale has more iron than beef, or more calcium than milk." 

That is the first line in the article, how could that not grab you!! I also learned from MarthaStewart.com that the colder the weather the sweeter the kale, making fall through spring the best time to grow or eat.

Some great Kale recipes can be found here:

For those of you that LOVE bacon and the tang of apple cider vinegar check out:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/braised-kale-with-bacon-cider-10000000577156/

Everyone knows how much I love Garbanzo beans, if you do as well go here:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/garbanzo-beans-greens-50400000109639/

I love a very basic kale, cooked down, a little spicy and definitely with fresh lemon. Try Martha's recipe:
http://www.marthastewart.com/862205/spicy-sauteed-kale-lemon?czone=food%2Fwinter-produce%2Fwinter-produce&gallery=286367&slide=862205&center=1009854


BEANS!
Protein, Fiber and Antioxidants OH MY! By the way Red Meat has little or no fiber (found on WebMD's article http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/beans-protein-rich-superfoods), but I'm not cutting out meats entirely, I'm just giving you an option that you can add to your meals. Red meats shouldn't be eaten with every meal or even every day,  and with "Super foods" like beans you don't have to. Here is an excerpt from WebMd on the importance of Beans and the benefits to your health and weight loss:

"Beans are comparable to meat when it comes to calories, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Wellness Institute in Chicago and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. But they really shine in terms of fiber and water content, two ingredients that make you feel fuller, faster. Adding beans to your diet helps cut calories without feeling deprived."
(By Jenny Stamos Kovacs WebMD the Magazine - Feature Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD)

*Who doesn't want to feel full on less?!

Besides my bean recipes here are some great ones that I've found while searching around:

Slow cooked tomato and herb white beans from theKitchn.com

http://www.thekitchn.com/slowcooked-tomato-and-herb-whi-97163

Here is a Three Bean salad from Allrecipes.com it's a sweet version of the bean salads that I often post:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Three-Bean-Salad-5/Detail.aspx?prop24=RD_RelatedRecipes

I had these at a local soda shop in San Diego and they were fantastic! Roasted crispy Chickpea's from Steamykitchen.com :
http://www.steamykitchen.com/10725-crispy-roasted-chickpeas-garbanzo-beans.html

I have met many people who don't understand not eating meat every day, or at least for dinner every night. While meats have their benefits they also have consequences. I see that if you can eat something else once in a while and not deprive yourself of the health requirements, then why not? That, in the first sentence, is the most obvious answer to why there is so much more meat consumption....people don't understand. Like all eating habits it is about education. We all love to indulge, but when indulgence meets health safety we have to grow up and think outside the box. I am lucky to have a toddler who will eat most anything you place in front of her. Oddly she prefers not to eat as much meat as she does beans and vegetables, but that is a win in my book.

So to conclude kale and beans are a great source of iron, calcium, protein, fiber and a mixed alphabet of vitamins. Some of those vital nutrients prove much higher than that of red meat, which is a great thing for creating healthier eating habits and learning new things.