About 2 weeks ago, I made the decision to start an anti-inflammatory diet. That means cutting out added sugar, dairy and excessive carbs because those are the ones that make me feel most bloated. Well, I would say I’ve been on a 70-80% anti-inflammatory diet because it is so difficult to completely cut out desserts I love. However, something that made this easier for me was finally making good kale salads!

How I Went From Hating Kale to Loving It

I used to hate kale. I think many people do. When I talk to the people around me about it, they always express how bitter and tough it is which I used to agree on. But it is safe to say that I have made some decent hearty kale salads lately that make me want to have more! The first time I had a good kale salad was from this restaurant called Beatnic. They had quite a few different types of salads and all completely vegan too. I remember trying out one of their kale salads and it tasted so delicious. Contrary to the bad rep that kale gets, that salad was not bitter at all! The added toppings such as nuts, dressing and other ingredients gave a crunchy texture and sweet taste that redefined my opinions on kale. Since then, I’ve tried to make one at home on my own but it never turned out well. It always became soggy if I prepared it too early (like a meal prep situation) and it took too much effort to make it from scratch every single time. These past two weeks however, I made a good kale salad base with various different toppings. With the kale, I also added some arugula, diced onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and lemon juice. The arugula helped to reduce the strong bitterness of the kale and the onion added a sweet crunch to it that elevated the flavor profile of the salad. The rest of the seasonings masked the bitterness as well and made it softer too. I’ve been having the salad with some sort of protein like grilled salmon, chicken, shrimp or beef meatballs with a side of air fried sweet potatoes, avocado and some whipped cream cheese as a dip. It might sound really “bland” but of course they are all seasoned well. These meals were so hearty that I didn’t feel the need to snack on anything else after which helped me with controlling my food intake as well.

Tips to Make Kale More Palatable

Out of the many different suggestions I got on the internet and Tiktok videos on how to prepare kale salads at home, here are the ones that I’m sticking with. Firstly, chopping up the kale into small pieces makes it easier to eat it. I don’t know about you but sometimes when the leaves in a salad are big and leafy, I find it a hassle to stab it with my fork because it doesn’t ever form into a perfect bite. It is so much easier to have the leaves chopped such that you can scoop it up. This also allows you to add on the other toppings into one bite! Next, I added olive oil and massaged the kale. I really went in on it. It helps if you have frustrations you want to vent so you just put in all your energy into it! This helps to soften the fibers and release the bitter compounds so that the leaves themselves don’t taste bitter and are softer to chew on. This tip helped me a lot as I could really taste the difference after! Lastly, seasonings are really important. To the basic seasonings I mentioned above, I also tried adding nutritional yeast and mashed avocado and mixed the salad all together. This combination was perfect for me! The nutritional yeast gave a nutty, cheesy flavor while the avocado added a mildness to the salad and reduced the saltiness and bitterness even more. If you’re a beginner at salads, I highly suggest you to try these tips out and see if you like it!

Personal Tastes May Differ for Everyone

Before I end today’s monologue on salads, I want to highlight that not everything is for everyone. While I suggest you to try out the tips above for a good kale salad, you may end up not liking it still and that’s okay! The final salad I made was still a little bit tough, crunchy and bitter because well, it is still kale. However, I loved the combination I prepared with the protein and other toppings. If you don’t like that, maybe try out different types of salad vegetables with different seasonings and toppings to find something that you truly like. Being on any diet, whether it is anti-inflammatory or low carb, etc, we should be able to follow through with it while also feeling peace in our bodies. If recipes are going viral with ingredients that we don’t fancy, we just have to work a little harder to find a replacement that still fits within our diet and what we enjoy. I hope that this encourages you to try something new and even if you wouldn’t make it again, keep an open mind because we are blessed with tons of different options to choose from! Till next time!

Love, Noor ❤