Kalette: The new veggie on the block

Hi readers! This post is written by Beth’s intern, Erin, who is studying to be a registered dietitian.

This just in… Kale is officially “out” and it’s new, cooler, trendier and tastier younger sister, Kalette is “in”. You can think of a Kalette as the Kylie Jenner to Kim Kardashian. Yes, Kim is definitely still “cool” in a married with kids kind of way, but Kylie is younger, more chic and a little weird in a way we all find intriguing (so we follow her on all social media accounts and wish our lives were that cool when we were 18.)

So here are the facts… A Kalette is basically the child of Kale and Brussels Sprouts. Some scientists over in England have been working on this hybrid vegetable for about 15 years and it just recently made its way across the pond to the US. For all you skeptics out there (me included) don’t fret! This is not some kind of freaky science experiment. Kalettes are naturally grown from seeds and right now, Kalettes are mostly being grown in southern California because of the warm coastal climate.

I know exactly what you’re thinking…. You need to go to the store to get this mysterious new vegetable RIGHT NOW so you can make an awesome dish and Instagram it so all your friends know how ahead of the times you are (just me? Idk..) But wait, where can you find these Kalettes you may wonder… Trader Joes and Whole Foods both claim to have Kalettes in all of their locations nationwide (although you may want to call and check before going. Other names for Kalettes may include Kale Sprouts, BrussleKale or Flower Sprouts)

So now you know where to go and what you’re getting but how do you pick the perfect Kalette? I’ll tell you how… The leaves should be nice and hydrated without any brown spots and the steam should look freshly cut and have a very pretty purple-y color. Check out this super exciting video explaining how to prepare your Kalettes for cooking:

Since I am studying nutrition and diet, I feel obligated to talk about the nutritional benefits of this innovative new veg…

For 1 ½ cups of Kalettes, you get 4g of protein (moderately high for a vegetable), 120% of your daily value for vitamin K (pretty typical for a leafy green but still a good thing!) and 40% of your daily value of vitamin C (just in time to start fighting off winter colds) all for just 45 calories!

And there you have it, folks! Now I’m off to go munch on some roasted Kalettes while I catch up on KUWTK.

Are red meat and processed meats really that bad?

Last week brought with it some pretty earth shattering news, and no I am not just talking about the news of Karla Kardashian…

I am referring to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring that consuming red meats and processed meats increases cancer risk. Now, I know that most of you probably care more about the Kardashians than this, but for those of you who do, I am going to talk you through what this means. First, let’s start with the basics.

Who is WHO?

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that focuses on public health. It employs some of the world’s finest doctors, scientist, epidemiologist, etc., etc. To sum it up the WHO is…

What constitutes as red meat and processed meats?

According to WHO red meat is any of the following: beef, veal, lamb, mutton, goat and everybody’s favorite, horse. Processed meats is considered as any meat that has been transformed to improve its flavor or preserve it (think smoked or cured meats)—sausages, hot dogs, salami, jerky, deli meats, bologna, spam, anything smoked and the beloved bacon.

Not new news...

I am not sure why everyone is so shocked by this “news.” The American Cancer Society made this recommendation to limit red meat and processed back in 2002 citing potential linkages to cancer.

Not just cancer...

This report only focuses on the linkage between consumption of red meat and processed meat and cancer. What it doesn't mention is the high saturated fat and sodium content that both red meat and processed meats have. So on top of the whole cancer thing, red meat and processed meat are not good for your heart either.

How bad is it?

Well, it is not anywhere as bad as tobacco. To put it in perspective, smoking three cigarettes a day increases your cancer risk by 500%, while eating a couple slices of bologna a day increases it by 18% (source). The cancer that is most associated with eating red and processed meats is colon, prostate, and pancreatic.  

Why is this such a big deal if the effect is small?

So perhaps this has been a bit overhyped, but I think that this is something that Americans need to hear more of. Yes, eating red meat and processed meat does not have the same dangers and deadliness of tobacco, but I know a lot more people who eat red or processed meats on the regular than I do people who smoke.

What if I want to eat red or processed meats?

If you are thinking this right now…

…here are a couple of pointers to reduce your risk.

• Cook red meat at low temperatures (read: do not grill, pan-fry, deep fry, etc.)-cooking them at higher temperatures produce the highest amounts of chemicals suspected of causing cancer.
• Don’t eat it every day- I like pizza. I do not eat it every day because it is not very healthy to do so.
• Moderation- Similarly to the above sentiment…I like pizza. I don’t eat it every day. When I do eat it, I only eat like two pieces, not an entire pizza.  

Breaking it down

It has been well known for a while that red meat and processed meat is not very good for your health. This research just confirms that there is a link between consuming red meat and processed meats and cancer. Is red meat and processed meats as harmful as cigarettes? No. Will occasionally eating these give you cancer? No, however if you have a family history of colon cancer you may want to consider not eating them every day. Eating red meat and processed meat is presents more of a threat to your heart than your risk of getting cancer from it. Basically what I am trying to say is eat more fruits, vegetables, poultry, seafood (heck maybe even try going vegetarian), and maybe not put bacon on everything. Well I am off to go cook some bacon for my all of my ex's. 

Keep it Fresh,

Keep it Green,

Beth