Easy Crispy Kale Chips
If you were to ask me for my top tips to optimize your fertility and prepare your body for pregnancy, my response would include to eat ample amounts of leafy greens- think kale, spinach, Swiss Chard, etc. I pretty much always recommend eating leafy greens for fertility and preconception because they are just such a powerhouse of nutrients that are key for making and growing your future baby, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, calcium, magnesium, fibre, and antioxidants. You can read more about why these nutrients are important for fertility and preconception in this blog post and this blog post.
But here’s the problem: leafy greens can sometimes be a challenge to eat. I don’t know about you, but a pile of steamed spinach just does not sound all that appealing to me. This is why I like to think creatively about how to get in more leafy greens in ways that are actually enjoyable. And my favourite way to do this: by eating them in chip form!
In this recipe, I’m sharing my super quick and easy way to make kale chips, but you can try this with pretty much any form of leafy green (Swiss chard works really well!).
Kale chips are not only super quick and easy to make, but they are delicious- my kids literally beg me to make them and will happily eat piles of them.
The recipe below is a basic version; feel free to season your kale chips as you like (try garlic and parmesan, nutritional yeast and lemon juice, or curry powder). To keep things simple and quick, I use an air fryer in this recipe, but I also give you instructions on how to make these in the oven if you don’t have an air fryer.
Easy Crispy Kale Chips Recipe
Total time: 10 minutes
1 bunch of kale makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
Destem and chop kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. The easiest way to do this is to fold the leaf in half and slice the stem off, and then chop the remaining leaves.
Wash the kale and make sure to dry thoroughly (super important for getting your chips to crisp up!)
Place kale in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and add salt.
Gently mix to coat all the leaves.
Place in an even layer in air fryer basket (it’s ok if they overlap). Depending on the size of your basket, you may need to cook the kale in several batches.
Air fry at 360F for 4 minutes.
Remove the basket, toss the kale chips and cook for another 30-60 seconds if necessary.
Remove from the basket and enjoy!
Notes:
To cook in the oven: preheat oven to 300F. Place oiled and salted kale chips on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they are not touching (you may need to bake them in a couple of batches). Bake for 15 minutes, toss gently, then continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until crispy but not burnt.