Power Greens: Kale, Collards and Chard

Kale and collards are cruciferous vegetables from the mustard family, which includes vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Chard is from the same family as beets and spinach. All are excellent sources of potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamins A, C and K.

The nutrients in power greens are incredibly beneficial toward:

Blood pressure
Bone strength
Eye, heart, brain and skin health

Green Kale

Kale is closely related to cabbage. Like cabbage, its leaves are very tough; unlike cabbage, the central leaves do not form a head. Green or curly-leaf kale can come in different colors ranging from dark green to purple. Its tightly ruffled leaves are its distinguishing feature. It has a pleasantly bitter flavor with a nice peppery quality. This type of kale is best when cooked, as sauces stick well to its frilly leaves. The thick stalks are edible but require more cooking time than the leaves.

Lacinato Kale

Lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan or dinosaur kale because of its characteristic bumpy leaves) is less bitter than green kale and has a slightly sweet flavor. Lacinato kale is the best variety for eating raw, but it also has a nice texture when cooked. Like green kale, the whole stalk is edible, though the stems are often separated from and cooked longer than the more tender leaves.

Red Kale

Also known as Russian kale, red kale also comes in shades of green and purple. The leaves are flat and fringed, similar to arugula leaves. It’s the sweetest of the three kale varieties here, with a dash of pepperiness. Its flat leaves make red kale great in recipes for kale chips. The woody stems are particularly fibrous and are typically discarded.

Collard Greens

Collard greens are smooth and hearty in texture with broad dark green leaves and light-colored veins and stems. They taste a bit like a cross between kale and cabbage. Heat mellows their flavor and brings out their subtle earthiness. The stems are edible but are commonly discarded. Collards take a long time to cook; they are often braised for an hour or longer.

Rainbow Chard

Because it is a variety of three types of chard – white, red and yellow – rainbow chard has the intense mineral edge, earthy sweetness and mild nuttiness characteristic of those individual chards. They are popular sautéed or stir-fried. The whole stalk is edible, though the stems are often separated from and cooked longer than the more tender leaves.