I laughed the other day when I heard that February 1^st is becoming the new start date for New Year’s resolutions. But then after I let the idea sink in, it began to make sense. By February 1^st, the winter holidays and their tempting, flavorful excesses are all over. The football playoffs are over – or sometimes just about over. We’re starting to look at least somewhat more optimistically toward the light of spring at the end of the dark tunnel of winter. So, why not make February 1^st a much more fitting start date?

Regarding that new start date and the desire among most to eat better, how ‘bout looking at what kale has to offer? Kale has a lot going for it in that it’s flavorful, versatile, easy to prepare, and richly nutritious (you can click the graph below for a link to The World’s Healthiest Foods for more detailed information.)

As shown above, kale is particularly rich in vitamins K (promotes healthy blood, bones, and more), A (promotes healthy eyes, teeth, immune system, and more) and C (promotes healthy bones, connective tissue, immune system, and more). Of note, although vitamin C is water soluble, vitamins K and A are both oil/fat soluble, which means kale is best eaten along with some oil: for example, a shot of olive oil or oil-based salad dressing.

Finally, kale’s nutritional value is actually improved by cooking it very briefly, and doing just that in the microwave oven is the most efficient way to maximize kale’s nutrient power.

Here’s all you need to cook kale in the microwave oven.

Click any picture, except for the graph above, for very easy to use step-by-step picture book directions.