Craving the salty, crunchy goodness of chips? Why not try kale chips!

I know, I know what you are thinking: "Kale chips?  Really Lisa?  I don't think so."  But as I sat in front of my computer trying to get motivated to write some copy for my new website (stay tuned!) I glanced at my twitter page and noticed a post from a fellow Food Buzzer and food blogger about making kale chips!  I've heard of them and people swear by them but I had to try them myself.  I was not disappointed!

Kale is a highly nutrient dense vegetable - and so it is quite good for you.  It's high in calcium, iron, vitamins A, C and K, and contains lots of cancer fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals.  Trust me, it's one of those vegetables you pass by in the grocery store but instead you should consider making a dish with kale one of these days. It tastes good roasted with garlic, raw in a salad, as a topping on pizza, and more.

I decided to follow A Thought For Food's idea and took her recommendation of changing the spices to those I new I would enjoy.  I took a bout 2/3 of a head of kale, washed and dried it and ripped up into bite sized pieces.  I then drizzled a little olive oil and added fresh ground pepper, some sea salt and some garlic powder and mixed everything around in a bowl.  I spread it out on some tin foil on a baking sheet (it's a good idea to spray the tin foil or the sheet with spray oil or use parchment paper on your baking sheet so that the chips don't stick).  I baked them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F and out came some tasty and nutritious chips without the guilt of fried potato chips!

The oven dehydrates the greens so they become crispy but the leaves are so thin that when you put them in your mouth they are really brittle and crunchy.  The spices make a big impact on your taste buds - even more so than the kale flavors which are much more subtle.  I really like them and would probably play around with different spices to see what  I like best.

What is your go to nutritious snack when you are craving something not so healthy?  Feel free to share here!

Chow for now!  :)