Tomorrow is Jeffrey’s birthday so we will be celebrating with a sinful dessert. I thought it would be a good idea to get in a few more veggies this week before indulging in chocolate deliciousness so I decided to try making kale chips. What better way to sneak in some veggies than in a crispy potato chip alternative?

I have been reading the book “The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters One Meal at a Time” and have really been enjoying the approach they take to having kids try new foods. My boys are great and I know they have broad palates, but it is always a good idea to get some new ideas for adding new veggies or increasing the veggie intake to our diets. I saw the recipe for kale chips and thought it was worth a try.

I probably won’t be baking up a batch of these every week though they did add a veggie to our meal last night and the boys didn’t hate them so I count it as a win. I do think they are yummy, but for a family that doesn’t eat chips on a regular basis they were just an extra for us and not a healthy replacement. When we need a chip alternative, they will be on the menu.

Kale Chips

Ingredient:
1 bunch of kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces removing the tough stems. Wash the kale and dry it either with a salad spinner or towels. Toss into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Rub the kale to make sure it is evenly coated with the oil.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the kale in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. Bake for about 6 minutes, then stir. Continue baking for another 6-9 minutes. (You may need to decrease the oven temperature to 325 at this point to insure that the kale crisps before browning.) Do not let them brown or they will have a burnt taste.

Ready for the oven.