My Kid Asks for These Vegetables, and Even Helps Make Them!

Most parents are always looking for ways to get their kids to consume more greens, and I’m no different. That’s why I’m so thrilled to share this super easy recipe for kale chips, which my kid actually loves to eat – so much so that he actually offers to help make them! I love getting kids involved in real life skills like cooking and baking, so this is a big plus.

Check out the video clip to see how your kid can get their hands dirty for this recipe, courtesy of ohsheglows.com.

All-Dressed Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS

PER BAKING SHEET:

approx. 1/2 bunch kale leaves
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Personally, I don’t use nutritional yeast and I don’t use the last two spicy ingredients when making the kid-friendly version of the chips, but I always make one spicy batch for my husband.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove leaves from the stems of the kale and roughly tear them up into large pieces. Compost the stems (or freeze for smoothies). Wash and spin the leaves until thoroughly dry.
Add kale leaves into a large bowl. Massage in the oil until all the nooks and crannies are coated in oil. Now sprinkle on the spices/seasonings and toss to combine.
Spread out the kale onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, being sure not to overcrowd the kale.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 12-15 minutes more until the kale begins to firm up. The kale will look shrunken, but this is normal. I bake for 25 minutes total in my oven.
Cool the kale on the sheet for 3 minutes before digging in! This really makes all the difference! Enjoy immediately as they lose their crispiness with time.
Repeat this process for the other half of the bunch.

Kids will love to help remove the leaves from the stems and to tear up the big curly leaves into smaller pieces. Just remember to tell them not to tear them up too small or it’ll be kale bits and not chips!