Homemade crispy kale chips are a delicious, tasty treat consisting of very few ingredients. One of the easiest recipes that pack a powerhouse of health benefits.
With fall foods showing up at the farmers markets, you may find an abundance of kale in your community, at the local farm or in your garden. I planted kale early spring and it’s been flourishing through the seasons since. With so much kale to enjoy from my own backyard, I have been enjoying it in salads, soups and alone- such as this tasty treat.
Kale chips can become soggy, so it’s recommended that you cook them on lower temps for a longer duration of time. Once baked, they store well in an air tight container and typically last up to a week long. Though I can never keep them that long because I LOVE them as a healthy snack.
Kale is one of the healthiest greens and a veggie loaded with antioxidants (which help remove unwanted toxins). Kale contains calcium, a variety of vitamins and fiber. Did you know that eating a cup of kale packs a punch of over 200% of your daily Vitamin A and 134% of Vitamin C? Vitamins that help support the body, reduce inflammation and support the immune system as we head into the colder seasons. Even more of a reason to enjoy this nutrient packed snack during the fall season.
With all of the health benefits, detoxification support and immune boosting benefits, this tasty treat is one I think may become a staple in your kitchen or pantry this fall and winter.
Crispy Kale Chips
Ingredients:
1 large bunch kale
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Sea salt to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Wash and dry kale completely. Remove stalks and tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place the pieces of kale into a mixing bowl and lightly coat with coconut oil and sea salt (or seasoning). Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip each leaf and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until edges are crisp. Serve or store (once cooled) in an air tight container.
Note: I use garlic powder in place of salt but you can use any seasoning you desire.
As the temperature drops, our nutritional needs change. Except for winter-sports enthusiasts, people become less physically active. After all, when it’s cold and snowy outside, even a trip to a neighborhood grocery store is a daunting task. With the advent of cold and flu season, staying healthy takes a bit more effort. What’s more, nutrition-packed fruits and vegetables that were plentiful during the summer may be in short supply—and take a bigger chunk out of our wallets.
However, there are many delicious and affordable ways to ensure proper nutrition during the dark days of winter. These tips will help you maintain optimum health and please your palate at the same time.
There are many varieties of legumes, including garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), lentils, lima beans, and pinto beans. These hearty foods have something in common: they are fiber and protein powerhouses. Beans can be added to stews and soups, served in salads, and cooked and eaten by themselves. To reduce gassiness, soak them in water for six to eight hours and rinse before preparing.
With the cold season in full swing, it’s a perfect time for chili. Load up on the beans when cooking up your favorite chili. This is a great stew recipe too! Add whatever beans you enjoy. Healthy and Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Try Some Spuds
Potatoes have an undeserved bad reputation for their starch content. However, they are chock full of vital nutrients. One potato provides hefty amounts of immunity-boosting vitamins B6 and C (29% and 25% of the recommended daily allowance of each). Fiber—4 grams in an average-size potato—and folate, essential for the proper development of unborn babies, are added bonuses. Purple potatoes are great sources of anthocyanins, antioxidants with a variety of benefits ranging from keeping heart disease at bay to reducing inflammation. Adding carrots, parsnips, turnips, and other roots vegetables to mashed potatoes is a delicious way to include vegetables in a wintertime dish.
Talk Turkey
This bird is not for Thanksgiving only. Low in calories and high in protein, it’s a natural in sandwiches, soup, salads, stir-fry, and by itself.
Include Winter Squash
Spaghetti, acorn, and butternut are only a few types of this colorful, tasty, nutritious vegetable. Winter squash is low-calorie and rich in fiber, vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamin C. Acorn squash also has 30% of the RDA of vitamin B1, 25% of B6, and 31% of magnesium. And butternut squash is a powerhouse of vitamins A and C: 179% and 31% of their respective daily requirements. Leave off the butter and syrup and try a little ghee, applesauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, or cinnamon.
Chard, collards, and kale flourish in winter. The frosty weather can reduce kale’s bitter taste. With healthy amounts of vitamins C, A, and K—and plenty of folate in escarole, mustard greens, and collards—leafy greens can keep people’s immune systems in good shape. Red cabbage, a cousin of kale, contains few calories and lots of vitamin A, plus zeaxanthin and lutein, phytochemicals so important for eye health as people age.
Don’t Forget Fruit
Citrus fruit is loaded with vitamin C. Grapefruit, oranges, and their cousins are also excellent sources of all-important flavonoids. Hesperidin, the dominant flavonoid in citrus fruit, is known to raise HDL cholesterol (the good kind), reduce LDL cholesterol, and lower triglyceride levels. And if you have not yet tried pomegranate juice, you may want to add it to your daily regimen. It contains more antioxidants than any other kind. Studies show that pomegranate juice may help prevent free radicals from doing damage—and increase the flow of blood to the heart in patients whose tickers do not receive sufficient oxygen because of blocked arteries.
By adding these good-tasting and nutritious foods to the menu, you can ensure that you and your family will weather the chilly season. Enjoy!
P.S. If you’re looking for some delicious and healthy recipes for your holiday meals, I welcome you to check out my Healthy Holiday Guide
do you feel like you’re struggling with your nutrition and health goals this time of the year? let’s connect and schedule a free discovery session. click on the contact button here. i look forward to talking with you soon. Contact
Fall food swaps are a simple, healthy way to support this season’s change, strengthen our immunity and support our body as we approach the holiday season ahead.
If you want to eat a little healthier through the fall season, it doesn’t require completely changing your nutrition. In many cases, you can just make a few substitutions with the foods you already enjoy. Lower-fat foods that are tasty and nutritious. Here are some healthy food swaps that use fall superfoods.
Use Pumpkin in Cake Mixes
One of the easiest healthy food swaps you can do with your fall superfoods is to use pumpkin puree with cake mixes. This turns your cake or cupcakes into just 2 ingredients, including the cake mix of your choice and pumpkin puree. The pumpkin replaces all other ingredients you would have mixed in with the cake mix, like oil and eggs. This is often done with a spiced cake mix that goes well with pumpkin, but don’t be afraid to experiment with vanilla and chocolate cake mixes as well.
Don’t like pumpkin? Use fresh applesauce instead. Both pumpkin and apples are incredible fall foods with many health benefits.
Sweet Potatoes Instead of White Potatoes
Many people enjoy potatoes, especially in the fall when you want more savory dishes, but they tend to be high in carbs and fat, and not very nutritious. Instead of having traditional white potatoes in your dishes, try sweet potatoes. These are a superfood, so they are filled with nutrients, and are amazing to enjoy during the fall season. You can enjoy stuffed sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries or even sweet potato soup.
Use Cauliflower for Low-Carb Options
If you are on a low-carb nutrition plan, then you should become familiar with cauliflower. The bland taste and slightly rough texture of cauliflower makes it perfect as a substitute for many of the carb-rich foods you can no longer have. You can use it to make mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes, make lots of types of rice with it, or even make cauliflower steaks. Be creative and find different ways to substitute the higher-carb ingredients with cauliflower. Cauliflower can pack a lot of flavor when cooked with avocado oil or ghee, herbs and spices.
I love to make healthier pizza with cauliflower crust. I keep it simple and healthy with this crust of choice. Link: Cauliflower Crust
Quinoa Instead of Rice
The last substitution you can make for a healthier superfood-rich meal is to replace your rice with quinoa. Most types of rice, including white rice and brown rice, are okay in moderation, but they lack the nutrition you need for a well-balanced meal. Quinoa is considered a superfood, so it is the perfect alternative when you want to have a rice dish. You can make a harvest quinoa side dish with squash, pumpkin, and spices, which is simply to make and very good for you with all the superfoods included.
As mentioned, there are many ways to swap some of your traditional dishes for healthier, super food filled, yummy recipes. Below is one of my favorites this fall season. It’s a great recipe to share with family and friends and it uses up those leftover pumpkins from Halloween. ?
Roasted Pumpkin with Cranberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds of fresh pumpkin, seeded and cut long ways into crescents
3 Tbsp raw local honey
3 Tbsp avocado oil (or another oil of your choice)
Optional seasoning: 1 tsp pumpkin spice
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil. In a small bowl, combine and stir the oil and honey. Spread pumpkin slices on prepared sheets, side by side. Brush one side of the slices with oil and honey mixture. If adding the spice, lightly dust before roasting. Roast 10 to 15 minutes, or until browning begins.
Carefully flip the slices with tongs and brush with the remaining oil combination. If desired, you can add more spice (if using). Roast another 10 to 15 minutes or until desired texture and color. Serve with cranberry sauce
Cranberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
2 apples, peeled and chopped 1 cup of water
1⁄2 cup local raw honey
DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan over high heat, bring all ingredients to a boil. Once the ingredients begin to boil, reduce the heat to low. Simmer and stir occasionally until the cranberries pop and the ingredients thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This delicious dish can be refrigerated for serving later or served after cooking and once cooled down.
This recipe and many more will be featured in my Healthy Holiday Guide COMING SOON! To learn more or get on the waiting list, message me here: Contact Kim
Have you discovered a healthy swap that you enjoy? I welcome you to share!
The holiday season is a joyous time of the year, but it’s also a time when our bodies are exposed to more stress, less sleep, more caffeine and alcohol, lots of sugar and unhealthy foods. All of which can wreak havoc on the immune system and especially our gut. Leaving us more susceptible to illness and not feeling optimal.
The immune system is designed to work against diseases in the body. It has a resistive power that fights bad bacteria and viruses that can cause illness and sickness. The immune system is designed perfectly, but our negligence towards our health often weakens the system. If it is not properly cared for, it becomes so weak that even small illnesses like the flu or a cough can become severe. The immune system also becomes dirty by fighting too much bacteria. Cleaning is required to make it strong again.
There are many ways to clean the immune system and boost its power. Here are some ways to do it naturally.
1. Turmeric:
Turmeric is a yellowish spice used in many dishes in Asia. It has proven to be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. Very high in anti-toxicants, turmeric helps in fighting against free radical damage. Some studies have shown that an active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, supports the action of B cells, T cells, and natural virus killers in the body. This effect provides support to fight against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Add turmeric to your meals to keep your immune system powerful and clean.
2. Vitamin D:
Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin. It helps to keep the immune system clean. Deficiency of Vitamin D results in a weak immune system and health problems. Vitamin D can be directly accessed from the sunlight but sun exposure has its own risks, so vitamin supplements are preferred. They are easily available and can be taken daily with no side effects. Vitamin D3 is preferred over D2.
3. Beetroot:
Beetroot is a reddish vegetable with a lot of benefits for the immune system. It helps to restore the body’s PH balance with minerals like iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium. These minerals have very strong detoxifying properties. The high content of pectin and betaine found in beetroot also works as an anti-toxicant against bacteria.
4. Colloidal silver:
Colloidal silver has a history of cleaning uses. It has been used as a water purifier and to clean wounds and medical equipment. There is concern that colloidal silver is bad for skin and health because it turns the body bluish-gray. This is due to a substance called argyria. But argyria is actually a result of silver abuse and excess consumption. Colloidal silver is best for the purification of an immune system but should be taken in very small doses. “Silver Fuzion” is most recommended.
5. A mixture of apple and ginger:
The combination of apple and ginger helps to cleanse the body. One benefit is that it’s very easy to prepare and store. Combine eight ounces of organic or freshly pressed apple with one teaspoon of ginger. Mix them with a small amount of husk in it or blend it.
6. Green tea:
Green tea can cleanse your immune system and make your skin fresh. It is tasty and can be made easily. It has many anti-toxicants that help to flush toxins from your body. In addition, green tea is rich in catechins, which helps to improve liver function.
7. Lemonade Cleanser:
Lemon has natural cleansing properties. Although consuming lemon directly is slightly unpleasant, you can easily make a natural, healthy lemonade. Combine four tablespoons of fresh, organic lemon juice, a half teaspoon of real maple syrup, and a half teaspoon of pepper in a ten ounces glass of water. Mix well. Drink it daily and you’ll notice a change in your immune system.
If you desire more taste, you can add things like organic berries and herbs, such as mint.
8. rest and relax:
Sleep and de-stressors are very important for a healthy immune system. Especially around the holidays, our sleep is often compromised. We tend to stay up later or consume sugary foods and drinks that may keep us awake or restless. It’s important to try to go to bed around the same time every night. Incorporate things such as meditation or breathing techniques to calm the body and mind. Shutting down electronics at least an hour before bed helps as well.
9. Incorporate probiotics:
I consume healthy probiotics on a daily basis but especially bump them up this time of the year. Probiotics are beneficial in aiding gut health ( where much disease is formed). To naturally boost your gut health and immune system, consume things like kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir and other naturally fermented foods. When choosing probiotics, I recommend choosing ones of good quality. Which often are stored in the refrigerator.
Probiotics are especially important if you’re taking an antibiotic.
10. Incorporate Bone Broth:
As children, we often consumed grilled cheese sandwiches and Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup when we didn’t feel well. No offense to my mom, but now I understand why my grandmother cooked with homemade broth. Organic bone broth is one of the best things you can consume to help aid your immune system and support gut health. Not only is it delicious and easy to make, it’s extremely beneficial in supporting your health. For a healthy and easy recipe, click here: https://kimwilson.me/homemade-bone-broth-recipe/
Additional healthy foods include raw garlic, ginger, raw and Manuka honey, oregano oil and mushrooms (such as maitake, reishi and shiitake).
Herbs are also beneficial when supporting overall health and boosting the immune system. For healthy herb options and how to use them, click here: Healthy Herbs
Incorporating a few or many of these tips will not only help boost your immune system, but support a healthy gut and body. As we transition from the holiday season into the New Year, especially during the colder months when germs are more common, I recommend exercising these natural immune supporters.
