Kale Fever - Report 2 from Natural Products Expo

March had its way with me, and here we are in April before I could return with another installment of my coverage of the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim. Thanks for your patience!

Running a close second with Chia for trendy items at the 2014 Expo was the highly touted Kale. We've been hearing a lot about this cruciferous vegetable lately. At the show, one woman told me, "I've had Kale salad, Kale soup, Kale juice, Kale chips - you name it... they had it here with Kale." 

On their website, Whole Foods calls Kale "one of the healthiest vegetables around." And this reputation is undoubtedly a main reason Kale was in so many products this year. WF says Kale stands out in three specific areas: (1) as a deliverer of antioxidants; (2) anti-inflammatory aspects; and (3) anti-cancer properties through glucosinolates.  To learn more about the benefits, go to Kale's page on the Whole Foods site.

KALE CHIPS were at the show at a number of booths. My favorite was by BRAD'S RAW FOODS, a company that invited us to "Join the Kalevolution."

Brad's chips come in three flavors: (1) Kale; (2) Hot Kale and (3) Cheddar. I sampled the Cheddar product at their outdoor booth and it was tasty.  Brad's chips are made with carrots, red bell peppers, nutritional yeast, flax seeds, raw buckwheat groats, scallions, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, and Himalayan sea salt. His site says that the chips are "never baked or fried," and instead they are "dehydrated at or below 115 degrees. " Visit the Brad's Raw Foods site for more info on this line of chips and their other products.

Another item that caught my eye was a plastic bottled kale juice delivered in the popular 1-2 servings size. NAKED'S KALE BLAZER seems to be getting mixed reviews for taste across the Internet. It has 100 calories per serving and delivers high amounts of Vitamins C and A as well as Potassium and Riboflavin. The product is available from WALMART, where you can find further details.

A friend tells me she likes to add a little kale to her HOME-MADE SMOOTHIES, and one blogger (www.heathersdish.com) says the secret to success with this idea is to freeze the kale first. For more on her tips for "How to Make a Kale Smoothie That Doesn’t Taste Like Dirt" click here.

Remember Whole Foods, who provided us with nutritional info on Kale earlier? They recommend steaming Kale for 5 minutes before eating, and you'll find their recipe for 5-Minute Steamed Kale here.

My next and last report on the Expo will be an assortment of my findings. Til then!

Be a picky eater for the health of it!

Robin Quinn
Health Educator

2014 - The Year of Chia & Kale at the Natural Products Expo West

As usual, the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim was a delicious and fascinating affair this past weekend. And I officially dub 2014’s Expo, The Year of Chia & Kale. In the upcoming weeks, I will blog on highlights from the show. Today….  Chia.

Anyone for a Chia Lollipop? As I walked the show floor, I came across XIOMEGA3 and their CHIA POPS. Handing me one, the booth rep noted, "You’ve got to have some fun with these products!" Like the other chia seed offerings, promotion for CHIA POPS mention that the seeds are a plant-based source of those all important Omega 3s. Could be a fun way to get these nutrients into your child or your child-at-heart self.

I saw many products combining Chia Seeds with Juice or other liquids. A friend at the show told me her favorite Chia Seed Products vendor is MAMMA CHIA, which calls itself the maker of “The Original Chia Seed Drink.” I found their sample of the “CHIA SQUEEZE VITALITY SNACK" - MANGO COCONUT flavor – to be tasty and convenient in its disposable foil pouch (thus the “squeeze” part of the name). Here’s a link for its counterpart in a glass container, which delivers 2500 mg of Omega 3s, 4 gs of complete protein, 95 mg calcium, plus antioxidants. And the “Squeeze Vitality Snack" version is only 80 calories per pouch.

At the Expo, NATURE'S PATH was offering tastings of Q’IA, its cereal brand that includes Chia Seeds mixed with other healthy ingredients such as Buckwheat, Hemp and Fruit and Veggie Purees. The cereals are organic, vegan, no-salt-added as well as gluten-, fructose- and lactose-free. They can be sprinkled into oatmeal, smoothies or salads as additional options to cereal in yogurt. Flavors include Cranberry Vanilla and Apple Cinnamon. In case you're wondering, “Q’ia” means energy.

Next up, “Kale Fever.” Serving that blog up within the week… Tune in again!

For the health of it!

Robin
Health Educator