Kale powder vs fresh Kale: Which one is better?

Kale is a healthful leafy green vegetable, rich in nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants, making it highly beneficial for your health. Currently, there are 2 popular forms of Kale: Kale powder and fresh Kale. So, Kale powder vs fresh Kale: Which is the better choice for your health? Let’s explore the differences and discover the various kale benefits in the following article.

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What is Kale powder? 

One of the leaves that is highest in nutrients on the planet, Kale offers a lot of health benefits with very few calories per serving. Although the exact origin of Kale consumption is unknown, evidence suggests that it has been a staple food in many parts of the world for thousands of years. Kale was first cultivated in ancient Greece in the fourth century B.C. Kale belongs to the family Brassicaceae, which includes mustard, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and beansprouts. Despite being only medium-sized, this family of flowering plants is very important to our ecosystem and economy. 

Kale powder is derived from fresh leaves that are harvested when perfectly ripe. These leaves undergo a drying process, either through air-drying or freezing, until they become sufficiently brittle. Subsequently, they are delicately broken and crushed into a fine powder.  

Read more: Some Common Types Of Kale That You Must Try

Kale powder vs fresh Kale: Which one is better? 

While Kale powder is usually found in health supplement stores in small tubs or resealable pouches, fresh Kale can be found easily in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. To compare and determine the better choice between Kale powder and fresh Kale, let’s analyze specific factors as outlined below. 

Read more: Kale Benefits For Skin: Nature’s Secret For Radiant Skin 

Nutritional Value 

Kale powder is still a great source of nutrients and health-promoting phytochemicals, even though some nutrition is inevitably lost during the conversion of green veggies into superfood powders due to air exposure in the drying and grinding processes. Because the water is removed during the dehydration process, more fiber, air-resistant nutrients, and phytochemicals are packed into a smaller amount of Kale powder than there is in fresh Kale, weight for weight. 

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 100 grams of fresh Kale contains:  

• 28.1 milligrams of carotenoids 
• 121 milligrams of chlorophyll 

Whereas, 100 grams of air-dried Kale contains: 

• 158 milligrams of carotenoids 
• 646 milligrams of chlorophyll 

Further research revealed that freeze-dried Kale powder included even more of these beneficial ingredients (1). 

Read more: Discover Kale Nutritional Value Secret 

Culinary Uses 

You can corporate fresh Kale into your dishes to enhance them with nutrients, flavor, and texture. Whether it’s stir-fries, risotto, omelets, or pizza toppings, fresh Kale can add a nutritious and vibrant element. Alternatively, create a delicious Kale smoothie by blending young Kale leaves with your favorite fruits in a high-powered blender. 

While fresh Kale contributes texture to dishes, Kale powder serves as a versatile ingredient for adding color, flavor, and nutrients. Common applications for Kale powder include blending it into green smoothies and pureed soups, incorporating it into sauces, dips, and salad dressings, using it in egg-based dishes like omelets and scrambled eggs, and sprinkling it onto salads. 

Read more: Kale Has Antioxidant Benefits: Is This True? 

Storage 

A notable distinction between Kale powder and fresh Kale lies in their storage characteristics. Kale powder, when appropriately stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place like a kitchen cabinet, maintains a relatively long shelf life. On the other hand, fresh Kale is best consumed within days of purchase and is ideally stored in a sealable plastic bag placed in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

Read more: Top 5 Health Benefits of Kale For Men

Why Choose Powdered Kale? 

Kale powder is a highly concentrated form compared to fresh, curly leaves, as it eliminates the water weight. This means that the nutritional power of a cup of fresh Kale is packed into approximately four teaspoons of Kale powder, making it more nutritionally dense and easier to digest than its fresh counterpart. In fact, this concentrated serving contains more iron per calorie than beef and more calcium than a cup of milk.

Read more: Spinach vs Kale Benefits: Unraveling the Nutritional Rivalry

With Kale Powder, the principle is “less is more.” In its powdered form, this leafy green becomes a readily available source of health and nutrition that you can seamlessly incorporate into a variety of dishes, from snacks and desserts to drinks and meals. Since powdered Kale takes up only about 10% of the volume of raw Kale, it can be easily integrated into almost any dish to boost your Daily Recommended Value (DRV) numbers. Just half a teaspoon of Kale powder is sufficient to mimic a single serving of greens. The discreet nature of Kale powder allows for effortless incorporation into meals, simplifying the journey to a healthier diet or making meal adjustments. 

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Moreover, Kale powder is available year-round and is always in season, unlike fresh Kale, which is seasonal and only lasts a few weeks. It is a great food to have on hand at all times because it can be stored for a few years.

Read more: Kale benefits for your health when eating everyday

Abeille d’Or Green Kale Powder: Your Convenient and High-Quality Kale Powder Drink 

For a convenient and top-tier solution to seamlessly include Kale powder in your daily routine, explore Abeille d’Or Green Kale powder. This premium Kale powder drink is crafted for convenience without any compromise on quality. Discover what sets this Kale powder apart, providing a simple and delightful means to integrate the nutritional benefits of Kale into your daily routine. 

Read more: The Benefits of Kale Juice For Skin

In summary, Kale powder stands out as a concentrated and versatile nutritional powerhouse. Whether you aim to meet daily nutritional requirements or enhance the nutrient density of your diet, Kale powder proves to be a valuable ally in achieving your health and wellness goals. 

Sources 

1. A. Korus (2013). Effect of preliminary and technological treatments on the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids in Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala). Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 37(4) 

How different drying methods affect the quality of Kale Powder.

If you’re thinking about using kale powder as a convenient way to add more leafy green vegetables to your diet, there are a few important things to consider. Typically, kale will be dried in one of two ways: Air-dried or Freeze-dried, and each method has pros and cons.

Air-dried

Pros

• The biggest pro of using an air-dried powder is the cost. Air-drying is a very low-cost way of drying kale and therefore the powder is much cheaper for you to purchase.

Cons

• The major con of air-dried powder is many of the nutrients are degraded. Put a leaf of kale on your counter for a few hours at room temperature and it will go limp and wilt. Put it in a dehydrator at a much higher temperature for a few hours and it will shrivel up like a raisin (in fact raisins are simply air-dried grapes which is why they look totally different). Shriveling happens when cell walls are degraded and break down. Water, and many soluble nutrients also leech out during the air-drying process.
• Air-drying typically makes the taste of the powder more pungent. So if you use it in something like a green smoothie, it may be more difficult to mask over the taste.
• Most air-dried vegetable powders are grown and dried in China where heavy metals are typically much higher in the soil than in the US.

Freeze-dried

Pros

• The biggest pro of using a freeze-dried powder is the nutrient level. A Freeze-dried kale leaf looks just like a fresh kale leaf and nutritionally is as close as you can get.
• Taste is very close to the taste of fresh kale, so if you are using it in something like a green smoothie, it is just as easy to flavor over as fresh kale.

Cons

• Freeze-drying is much more expensive than air-drying. Freeze-drying is a slow process that typically takes 2-3 days per batch.

While Freeze-dried powder is much higher in quality, the cost is also much higher. If your looking for a low-cost option to add leafy greens into your diet, air-dried powder would be a great choice for you and there are many options on Amazon to choose from. On the other hand, if you are less price sensitive and looking for the highest quality kale powder, we’d recommend a product like our Organic Freeze-dried Kale Powder which is grown and freeze-dried in the USA. Whichever you choose, we hope you’re able to eat more leafy greens!

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Bulk High Quality Blueberry Powder Wholesale. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.