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Homemade Kale Chips (Kids Love!)

Making food kids will love is more than just recreating healthier special treats. It’s important to find ways to get veggies in ’em, too, and these homemade kale chips do the trick! Grab the recipe below.

Homemade Kale Chips (Kids Love!) | The Family That Heals Together

One of the main objections I hear from parents when switching their kids to real food is “My kids won’t eat ______.” Here’s the thing, mom and dad, kids WILL eat what you prepare for them, eventually. You just have to find tasty ways to prepare them.

Enter homemade kale chips: the absolute tastiest way to prepare kale kids will love.

My kids fight over who gets the most kale chips at my house. The kids wait anxiously around the oven for them to finish crisping up. They say things like “How much longer until the kale’s done? I LOVE kale!”

If you, too, want your children to love kale (and lotsa other green veggies), take note: the yummiest way to cook veggies is to roast them in the oven with butter or ghee and get them just slightly crispy/charred. Be sure to add just the right amount and type of seasoning. Voilà.

Health benefits of kale

Not sure it’s worth trying to get some greens into your little one? It is. Kale boasts:

  • a high content of vitamin K, important for healthy bones and blood clotting
  • some omega fatty acids
  • more vitamin C than an orange
  • a decent calcium content
  • folate, a B vitamin important for brain health and development
  • vitamin A, needed for eye health
  • a good source of magnesium
  • fiber to help regulate bowels

Do you need any more reasons to get this super green superfood into your kid’s diet?

Don’t panic; buy organic

While kale is filled with health benefits for growing little bodies, it’s important to buy it organic, as it tends to test higher in pesticides than many other types of produce.

For these homemade kale chips, I prefer to buy the organic bagged, pre-chopped curly kale. Of course, you can easily buy whole curly kale, but for some reason, I find the pre-cut, bagged stuff has a better, less bitter flavor, which I’m guessing may come from the leaves being picked earlier, as the younger leaves are less bitter than the more ripe ones.

The secret to perfect homemade kale chips

You need just the right amount of fat (don’t be stingy), and the right flavor of fat (using butter or ghee imparts the perfect buttery flavor).

In addition, using just the right amount of salt, a well as a surprise dried herb gives it such a delicious taste.

With all of the above in mind, my kids actually say these homemade kale chips taste like popcorn- and I agree! Early in our paleo journey, popcorn was one of our most-missed foods (but if you’ve read our story, you know that corn can cause some major behavioral meltdowns for one of our kiddos- read about that here).

Keep in mind that greens shrink -a lot- as they cook. I start with a large baking sheet, but end up with a pretty small helping of kale chips. I usually have to make a double batch to make our crew happy, and even then, they ask for more.

Homemade Kale Chips (Kids Love!) | The Family That Heals Together

Place a few pats of ghee throughout the pile of kale, then add seasonings.

Homemade Kale Chips (Kids Love!) | The Family That Heals Together

Ready for the oven.

Homemade Kale Chips (Kids Love!) | The Family That Heals Together
Print Recipe

Homemade Kale Chips

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 6-8 oz chopped kale stems removed
  • 1/4 heaping cup ghee
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Spread kale on a large stainless steel baking sheet.
  • Spread the ghee in chunks over the kale, so that it's divided up and spread out.
  • Sprinkle the salt and oregano over the whole tray of kale.
  • Put in the oven and set a timer for 5 minutes.
  • When the timer goes off, remove the kale and stir very well, ensuring that the melted ghee coats every bit of kale, and the seasonings are well dispersed.
  • Place back in the oven and set the timer for another 10 minutes.
  • Again, remove and stir the kale, then place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, checking halfway through to be sure the kale isn't getting too charred.
  • Once the kale is crispy and slightly charred on the edges, remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating (or risk a burned tongue- not that I burn my tongue every time because I can't resist popping a piece of kale right in my mouth!).

Homemade Kale Chips (Kids Love!) | The Family That Heals Together

What looks like kids gingerly grabbing a piece of kale is actually impatient children who can’t stand waiting for mom to take photos!

Homemade Kale Chips (Kids Love!) | The Family That Heals Together

Be sure to make extra for sharing- one batch is never enough!

Have you made homemade kale chips before? Did you love ’em or hate ’em?

GAPS Intro Series: How to Make Tasty Ghee

Stage two… ahhh. You get to start eating a little more and introduce more flavors and nutrients, my favorite of which is ghee! This clarified butter is gentle on digestion and nourishing to boot. The rich, buttery flavor is just the ticket to add some flavor to bland soups. Best of all, it’s very easy to make! You don’t need any fancy equipment or special skills, just a few simple kitchen tools.

Ghee really is liquid gold- and so easy to make! Check out this recipe for simple salted ghee, boasting tons of nutritional value, even for many who don't typically tolerate dairy. Ghee really is liquid gold- and so easy to make! Check out this recipe for simple salted ghee, boasting tons of nutritional value, even for many who don't typically tolerate dairy. Ghee really is liquid gold- and so easy to make! Check out this recipe for simple salted ghee, boasting tons of nutritional value, even for many who don't typically tolerate dairy.

But ghee isn’t just for fun; it’s packed full of nutrients! Ghee:

  • is chalk full of good fat
  • is a good source of vitamins A, D, E, K and choline
  • is  a good source of omega fatty acids
  • has a high smoke point

Don’t forget to check out my post on our week one experience on GAPS intro here, then grab the book for all the details!

Ghee really is liquid gold- and so easy to make! Check out this recipe for simple salted ghee, boasting tons of nutritional value, even for many who don't typically tolerate dairy.

Print Recipe

Simple Salted Ghee

Ghee, also called clarified butter, offers the nutritious benefits of butter, with greater ease of digestion.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 2 cupa
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs - Grassfed Pastured Butter - (organic is best)
  • 1-2 tsp - Real Salt

Instructions

  • Turn oven on lowest setting (150-170 degrees, typically).
  • Place unwrapped blocks of butter in large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel is best).
  • Let warm in oven for 30-45 minutes or more, until the butter oil has separated and you can see the milk solids in the bottom of the skillet.
  • Remove the skillet carefully and prepare to strain the butter by setting up a large bowl with a strainer and layered cheesecloth resting over it.
  • Carefully pour the melted butter over the cheesecloth so that it filters into the bowl, watching to make sure the white milk solids do not leak into the butter oil. If you do get some white blobs in the oil, you can filter it a second time into another bowl. Be sure your cheesecloth is folded with 3-4 layers to prevent leakage.
  • Add real salt and stir to combine.
  • Ghee can be left out at room temperature, or can be stored in refrigerator, but will become solid and hard.

What Are Fat Bombs? The Yummy, Healing Treat You Should Be Eating!

What Are Fat Bombs? The Yummy, Healing Treat You Should Be Eating! | The Family That Heals Together

I think we are all over the notion now that eating fat makes you fat. Right? Mmmkay. So, since that’s out of the way, let me tell you more about why you should be eating fat, lots of it, and how fat bombs can help you do that.

What are fat bombs?

I’m not even sure who started the “fat bomb” craze, but fat bombs are one of my favorite health trends in a while!

Obviously, fat bombs contain fat. They also contain a sweetener of some kind.

Seriously, like, sign me up!

Why are fat bombs good for you?

Not only do our bodies need fat (and lots of it) for basic functioning, but during times of crisis, fat can be exceptionally healing.

Personally, fat bombs were a huge part of my recover from adrenal fatigue earlier this year.

While fat is very nourishing to all systems of the body, helping to heal the gut, power the brain (the brain is, after, comprised mostly of fat and needs plenty of fat to function well), and lubricate joints, when paired with an easily-digested sugar, it has remarkable effects on the blood sugar.

A constant blood sugar roller coaster can contribute to adrenal fatigue, as the adrenals are responsible for helping to regulate blood sugar levels. When the blood sugar becomes unsteady, the adrenals become overworked, and, eventually, begin to give out. In return, blood sugar becomes even more unstable. When I was experiencing severe adrenal fatigue, I would wake up in the mornings starving, and and would be extremely irritable until I ate some breakfast.

I would get spacey and forget things and my heart would race. I felt totally out of control and hated knowing how cranky I was with my family. I knew I had to figure out how to fix whatever was wrong with me.

What is adrenal fatigue?

As I mentioned, adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal glands become too taxed to perform their duties. Lack of proper sleep, poor diet, or too-rapid detoxification can cause adrenal fatigue. Mine came on suddenly and I later realized it occurred when I began taking a very strong probiotic, which was extremely effective, but too strong for me to have taken in full doses. (I now take only 1/3-1/2 capsule at a time.)

For months, I suffered from:

  • hair loss
  • extreme fatigue
  • insomnia
  • irritability
  • and a confused circadian rythm (I was tired during the day, but would get a burst of energy and want to clean house at 10 o clock at night!)

I relied on a number of therapies to heal my adrenal fatigue, and once I really tackled it, it went away fairly quickly!

I’ve written about using sole water as part of my adrenal-healing protocol, but fat bombs were a huge help as well!

When talking about healing the adrenals, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome) says, “I recommend making a mixture of raw butter or coconut oil with some raw honey: get the butter (or coconut oil) soft at room temperature and mix a little honey according to your taste. Put this mixture into a glass jar and carry that jar with you everywhere. Eat 1-2 teaspoons every 15-20 minutes all day long. This mixture will maintain your blood sugar at a normal level and help your adrenals recover.” (source)

The trick is, the honey helps to raise the blood sugar, but the fat acts as an anchor and doesn’t allow it to raise too high or too quickly.

I did, in fact, carry around a jar of fat bombs with me, and it was only mildly embarrassing. 😉

How to make fat bombs

Here’s the awesome part: making fat bombs is so easy!

You’ll need some softened fat (my personal favorite is brown butter ghee, which has the most amazing caramel flavor, but you can also use coconut oil, butter, ghee, or even nut butter).

Now add some raw honey (a good rule of thumb is to start with a 4/1 ratio of fat to honey). Give it a taste and add more honey if need be, up to equal parts. I generally like about 1/2 cup ghee or butter with 1/4 cup raw honey.

Adding some real salt to the mixture imparts both a nice flavor, as well as the mineral-boosting benefits of good salt (as I discuss in my post on sole water).

If you want a specific recipe, my coconut melt candies are delightful, and your kids will definitely love them too!

When I’m in a hurry and feel my blood sugar threatening to tank, I grab a spoon, stick it in my honey jar, scoop up some honey, then stick that same spoon in a block of grassfed butter and scoop some of that onto the spoon, too, and eat a big ol’ spoonful of fat bomb. And you can bet if my kids are around, they gather around like baby birds and beg for a bite too. (Don’t worry, I don’t regurgitate it for them.)

Did you know fat bombs could be so beneficial? Share using a link below so your friends can enjoy the craze too!

What Are Fat Bombs? The Yummy, Healing Treat You Should Be Eating! | The Family That Heals Together