This morning when I was looking up what #Holiday are happening this week I noticed October 7th as National Kale Day. I have a question for you today. Why in the world does kale have a national day? And before anybody gets the wrong idea, let me make something perfectly clear: kale isn’t coming to dinner at our house.
Anybody who knows me knows I don’t eat fruit. I eat a limited number of vegetables. David will eat more fruit than I will, but vegetables? Nope. And Charlie? Well, Charlie isn’t exactly lining up for either one. So do you really think you’re going to find kale in our home? Not happening.
Now, you might find a can of Popeye spinach. And if Popeye himself happened to come walking up to our door, we could probably fix him dinner. But kale? Sorry, Popeye. We couldn’t fix you any kale which I honestly don’t think you would want anyway. Would you? Popeye says it should be spinach anyway!
Now, I have a question for you. When did Kale become so famous? Here’s the funny part. Kale isn’t some brand-new vegetable that somebody invented while we weren’t looking. Kale has actually been around for thousands of years. It was cultivated around the Mediterranean long before modern grocery stores, smoothies and people started putting vegetables into drinks. So apparently kale has been around forever. I just didn’t know about it.
I don’t remember kale being a big thing when I was growing up. I don’t remember it being something everybody talked about when Suzzane was a child. I don’t remember Charlie growing up asking for a plate of kale. Instead, I remember spinach. Popeye had spinach. And apparently Popeye knew what he was doing because spinach was good enough for him.
Then somewhere along the way, kale showed up and decided it wanted to be the celebrity vegetable. And now people put it in Green Drinks? This is another thing I don’t quite understand. Apparently kale is considered a dark green leafy vegetable, right along with things like spinach and collard greens.
And because kale is packed with nutrients—including vitamins A, C and K, fiber and several other vitamins and minerals—people started putting it into smoothies, juices and all sorts of green drinks. Now I’m going to be honest with you. If you have to put kale in a drink and add a bunch of other things so you can’t taste the kale…
I’m probably going to wonder why we didn’t just make the drink without the kale. But apparently there are people who genuinely enjoy it. God bless them. I already know what David would say if I told him we were having kale for dinner. No. I don’t even have to ask. And Charlie? I’m pretty sure I’d get the same answer. Even the dogs aren’t exactly waiting beside the kitchen hoping I’ll drop a piece of kale. So I’m thinking our household is probably not going to become a kale-loving family anytime soon.
Even Santa can leave the Kale at home And let’s talk about Santa for a minute. If Santa was loading his sleigh and somebody walked up and said, “Don’t forget the kale!” I think Santa might say: “Nope.” When we’re loading Santa’s sleigh this year, you aren’t going to find kale anywhere near it. I don’t care if Mrs. Claus says Santa needs to eat his greens. Santa can have his cookies. He can have his milk. He can even have spinach if Popeye comes over for dinner. But kale? That isn’t going in the sleigh. Ever, Rudolph said.
Now, let’s get back to why does Kale have a National Day?
National Kale Day was created in 2013 as a way to celebrate kale and encourage people to learn about and eat the vegetable. And apparently there are plenty of people who love it. Kale has become popular because it is nutritious, versatile and inexpensive. You can eat it raw, cook it, put it into soups, make kale chips, add it to salads or blend it into smoothies.
So I understand why people like kale. I just don’t understand why I need to be one of them. And that’s the beauty of National Kale Day. You can celebrate something without necessarily putting it on your dinner plate. I’ll let the kale lovers have their day. I’ll stick with my spinach.
And if Popeye wants to come over, we’ll have dinner ready for him. Just don’t ask me to cook the kale. Because if you want kale… Don’t come to my house. What About You? Are you a kale lover? Do you put it in smoothies, salads or green drinks? Or are you sitting over there with me, David and Charlie saying: “Nope. I’ll pass.”
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
