Nothing like a green smoothie to start St. Paddy’s day off right – what you drink after that is none of our business.

untraditional irish breakfast

courtesy of SoHo store educator Dorry

ingredients:
• 2 cups of spinach
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• a shake of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of natural almond butter (or peanut butter)
*the healthy fat and protein gives the smoothie staying power

optional:
• 1 scoop Amazing Grass
• 1 scoop protein powder (I like SunWarrior vanilla or chocolate)
* protein powder is perfect for post-workout muscle repair

toppings:
• a serving of granola (or other cereal for crunch)
• fresh berries

feeling lucky green smoothie

courtesy of Park Royal yoga ambassador Alex Mazerolle
note: alex is a pro guess-timator, follow her lead if you’re feeling lucky and experiment with measurements!

ingredients:
 • a handful of chopped kale and green chard
• a thumb of fresh ginger
• some frozen blueberries
• 1/4 of an avocado
• a scoop of green powder like Greens+ or Sun is Shining or just hemp protein
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• a shake of cinnamon
• a few drops of Stevia to sweeten

o’range, banana and spinach smoothie

courtesy of  Steph, our head of recruitment here at the Store Support Centre
note: steph suggests using a Vitamix based on personal preference but believes any blender will do.

ingredients:
 • 1 frozen banana
• a heaping handful of spinach or kale (both delicious!)
• 2 baby cucumbers
• 1 orange (peeled)
• a handful of strawberries (frozen from the summer are my favourite!)
• 1 tablespoon E3Live BrainON
• a splash of coconut milk.

optional:
• 1 scoop of Vega powder (chocolate is my flavor of choice)
• 1 tablespoon of Omega 3-6-9 oil (keeps things lubricated)
• 1 tablespoon of liquid iron (IRONsmart is my fav)

Happy St. Patrick’s day! Perhaps we’ll see yah at yoga on Sunday.

It’s that dark leafy green that’s taking over produce aisles, giving the potato a run for its money (as far as chips go) and is turning fruit smoothies green with the promise of a disguised dose of nutrients. Fort Worth keyleader, Cami Hamann, tells us what’s up with kale.

reap the benefits of kale

Momma’s right (but isn’t she always?). Vegetables are jam packed with various vitamins and nutrients and kale is no exception. The dark green has an abundance of antioxidants that help fight off cancer-causing free radicals and can also aid in lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation.

nutritional value
One cup (130g) of kale contains:

• over 1000% of your daily-recommended value of Vitamin K
  (supporting bone growth and regulating blood clotting)
• over 350% of your daily value of Vitamin A
  (helps vision, growth, bone formation, tissue repair and red blood cell production)
• 5g of fibre
  (like yoga, fibre helps the digestive system function and detoxify the body)
• 35 calories 

a kale massage

give it a good rub
Ever wondered why your kale never tastes quite the same as the one from the Whole Foods salad bar? It’s probably because you weren’t making it with love. Kale is a tough green and requires a little extra TLC. Massaging it softens the leaves making them tastier, and easier to eat and digest. To give them a proper rub down:

• remove the leaves from the thick middle stem
• wash and dry the leaves
• tear leaves into bite size pieces
• toss the leaves in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and salt
• get your hands in there and go for it. You’ll notice the kale turn from a muted colour to a lively green and that’s your indication that it’s ready (and relaxed). *roughly five minutes

kale recipes

• kale chips
• mediterranean kale salad
• green kale smoothie

source: eat raw vegan

kale chips

• 1 bunch of kale
• 1tbsp olive oil
• ¼tsp salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.  Remove kale leaves from the middle stem and tear leaves into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry the leaves.  In a mixing bowl toss the leaves with the olive oil and salt.  Lay the kale out on baking sheets and bake until the chips get crispy, careful not to let them burn (about 10-15 minutes.)

*Ed. Note: I learned the hard way that although kale chips are very delicious (and nutritious), they don’t make for a great road trip snack as they can become quite stinky in confined spaces.

mediterranean kale salad

• 1 cup dry quinoa (quinoa is the only whole grain that is a complete protein)
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1.5 – 2 cups chopped tomato
• 1.5 – 2 cups chopped cucumber
• ½ cup Kalamata olives (about 20)
• fresh mint, parsley and chopped garlic (to taste)
• lemon juice (to taste)
• 3tbsp olive oil

Directions: Prepare 1 cup of quinoa as directed and toss with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Add chopped mint, parsley and garlic to taste creating a tabouli flavor. Chop and massage the kale and add to your quinoa mixture with additional lemon juice and 3tbsp of olive oil. Toss the salad until the leaves are coated. Add the chopped tomato, cucumber and Kalamata olives. Enjoy! Serves 4.

green kale smoothie

• 2-3 leaves of kale
• 1 banana
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
• ice (optional)
• stevia or 1tsp maple syrup (optional)

Directions: Combine ingredients in a blender and blend well.
*Get creative by sneaking kale into your favourite smoothie recipes. Kale has a strong earthy flavor so just be sure to use a banana to disguise its presence.

Kale is a great January green since it reaches its peak in the middle of winter (when quality greens are often lacking). Do you embrace the strong kale flavour or are you hard at work camouflaging it? How do you incorporate this super-food into your diet?