“I’m so crazy for you, it kales me.”
When discussing some lunch options with my daughters prior to the beginning of the school year, I’ll admit I was a bit surprised when my oldest suggested kale chips and kale salad. No complaints from me! And while I don’t make their lunches everyday, I do make sure they have healthy and easily accessible items available in the fridge or premade to bring to school.
Kale chips: Preheat oven to 225°. Wash and dry kale (I favor lacinato for kale chips, I find they get a more uniform crunch since they cook flatter than curly kale...and they take up less space when storing). Toss in a large bowl with about 1T of your preferred oil. Sprinkle about 1T of preferred seasoning (I used a combo of the vegan “parmesan” mix from the zoodles post below and some 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s) and toss thoroughly to coat. Layer kale on baking sheets, careful not to overlap or crowd pieces (cook in batches or use multiple baking sheets). Cook for 15 minutes, flip kale pieces and cook for another 10 minutes (add time in 5 minute increments if not crisp enough).
Kale salad prep: Wash and dry kale. Chiffonade kale (see video in highlights). Fill large wide mouthed mason jar with the kale (a full bunch of lacinato kale, firmly packed, fit in a 2c jar). This will easily serve as 6 lunch sides. Each day, a kale serving will be put into a small (8oz) mason jar, topped with some dressing (I premixed their favorite combo of Tessemae’s avocado ranch and creamy caesar + a spoonful of nutritional yeast) and sealed. Give it a shake to coat the kale...it holds well until lunchtime.
Pour a little dressing (or hummus) in the bottom of a ball jar. Add in cukes and carrots. I find this prevents wasted dressing.
