Spinach or Kale?

sarahlucking
sarahlucking Posts: 9
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
I LOVE making ffruit and spinach smoothies! Is Kale a better green to use?

Replies

  • UncreativeMe123
    UncreativeMe123 Posts: 52 Member
    I make fruit and green smoothies almost daily, and do half baby spinach and half frozen kale (3 oz each), just to get a more...complete green profile :)
  • sarahlucking
    sarahlucking Posts: 9
    I use 2 cups of spinach right now. I might try making some green smoothies when I get settled in my new place next month!
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Costco sells a mixture of both!
  • erinelizabeth882
    erinelizabeth882 Posts: 102 Member
    I've heard that spinach is actually more nutrient dense than kale. I tend to use spinach or a greens mix with spinach kale and chard.
  • Yoyo_Fitness
    Yoyo_Fitness Posts: 84 Member
    edited March 2015
    I juice both and many more! With a slow juicer you can press a lot more and al the enzymes are still intact :)
  • LovelyIvy466
    LovelyIvy466 Posts: 387 Member
    I use both, along with a moringa supplement. Thank god for smoothies, because otherwise kale is a pain to cook and get right (although maybe if I did it more often....)
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
    erinelizabeth882 wrote: »
    I've heard that spinach is actually more nutrient dense than kale. I tend to use spinach or a greens mix with spinach kale and chard.



    I saw something awhile back where they rated many greens based on nutrients and spinach was a lot higher (better) on the list than kale.

    Kale is still very nutritious, but for me I let it come down to taste.

    I prefer fresh spinach most of the time and definitely in smoothies. I had to toss a kale smoothie. :s I do love making homemade kale chips - commercial ones are off tasting to me.
  • JKJ832
    JKJ832 Posts: 6
    KALE, it's nutritional profile is so off the charts you have to wonder why Popeye wasn't guzzling the stuff!

    Very dark kale can have an assertive taste, especially in smoothies, but baby kale is very mild, milder than spinach, in my opinion and just as nutritious!

    THE best kale, is the stuff you grow yourself, it's not hard to grow and worthy of being in anyone's garden. Unfortunately my garden has been sidelined, so I rely on purchased kale, usually bagged.

    God bless! :)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2015
    They are both good, and getting a variety of veggies is good. You really shouldn't pick just one but vary them and try to eat other greens too, if possible. Trying to identify the one best veggie or green (they all have somewhat different profiles) and eating just that seems to me a mistaken approach to nutrition.
  • fat2strongbeth
    fat2strongbeth Posts: 735 Member
    I mix it up and use spinach, kale, baby chard, etc.
  • cherrybomb_77
    cherrybomb_77 Posts: 411 Member
    They're both good. I prefer kale because I don't like the taste of spinach.
  • lmr0528
    lmr0528 Posts: 427 Member
    I prefer spinach. I tried kale once in my smoothies and couldn't take the taste or the smell. Came home and threw it all away!
  • fr3smyl
    fr3smyl Posts: 1,418 Member

    AmazonMayan wrote: »

    I saw something awhile back where they rated many greens based on nutrients and spinach was a lot higher (better) on the list than kale.

    Kale is still very nutritious, but for me I let it come down to taste.

    I prefer fresh spinach most of the time and definitely in smoothies. I had to toss a kale smoothie. :s I do love making homemade kale chips - commercial ones are off tasting to me.

    I've towed a kale smoothie in my day as well. I keep saying I will find a backup to spinach but I never have the nerve after the kale debacle.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    betharin wrote: »
    I mix it up and use spinach, kale, baby chard, etc.
    also arugula, watercress, beet greens
    Whatever is available and I am in the mood for - I figure each has its own unique nutritional profile so the more I mix it up the more different nutrients I can get.

  • branflakes1980
    branflakes1980 Posts: 2,516 Member
    I use both (not at the same time) Kale has a more bitter taste IMO.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    sarahlucking wrote: »
    I LOVE making ffruit and spinach smoothies! Is Kale a better green to use?

    have you looked up the nutrient properties of each and compared them ? or do you mean taste ? or price ? or availability ? Sustainable farming practices ?

    what do you mean by better ?
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    My personal philosophy about spinach vs kale is that kale can suck it, spinach is delicious, spinach up kale down, spinach rules kale drools, etc. But really it just depends on what you like.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Lizzy622 wrote: »
    betharin wrote: »
    I mix it up and use spinach, kale, baby chard, etc.
    also arugula, watercress, beet greens
    Whatever is available and I am in the mood for - I figure each has its own unique nutritional profile so the more I mix it up the more different nutrients I can get.

    This is how I approach it. I try to have greens every day, but vary what they are.
  • kmsoucy457
    kmsoucy457 Posts: 237 Member
    If you have a high-powered blender there isn't much of a taste/texture difference. If you have a weaker blender (like I have a ninja, which is still a good AP tool), kale will be a little noticeable, especially if you don't drink the mixture right away...tends to separate. Spinach breaks down even in the cruddiest of blenders. I alternate between the two, and always buy by the bunch - it's cheaper!
  • CandiceMcD
    CandiceMcD Posts: 115 Member
    I was using a lot of kale in my smoothies, but all of a sudden I started getting hives all over - so I cut the kale out and they haven't come back. I guess some people have sensitivities to it. Of course I am the weird one, cause I loveeeed the taste of kale chips! I use baby spinach now, or spring mix.
  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,153 Member
    Thankfully, I have a Vitamix and it pretty much takes care of things like kale. That said, I regularly mix kale and baby spinach with any green smoothie I make. Sometimes I load it up and sip it through the morning and count it as breakfast and lunch, other times, I just use it for a pick-me-up. Greens always make me feel better. Wish I liked kale chips....but I don't....*sniff*

    It took awhile to get used to the texture of kale, and before I had my Vitamix, my regular blender just DID NOT cut it. Several times I ended up with a textured kale leaf stuck on the roof of my mouth.....gross. I find that the more greens I have, in general, the better I feel - so I am looking for more stuff to do with it!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    If you want vitamin and mineral bang for your buck, go for watercress.
    I've used both kale and spinach in my smoothies and I can't taste either, but I've only ever added 25g of each. Plus I add a lot of other ingredients which may have masked their taste...
  • upgradeddiddy
    upgradeddiddy Posts: 281 Member
    Spinach I think is slightly more flexible to cook with while I've only found a few decent pairs and things to mix with kale but I could be wrong. Only been using kale for 8 months on and off now just to see what I can do with it.
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