Kale is a leafy green vegetable that is in season in mid-winter through the beginning of spring. This member of the cabbage family packs a huge nutritional punch: 1 cup contains more than 100 percent of your daily value of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. It also contains vitamin B6, which helps in protein formation, and a bit of calcium. Not bad for less than 35 calories per cup.

Watch out: If you are taking a blood thinner, such as Warfarin, it’s important to keep the amount of vitamin K in your diet steady. Because kale is so rich in vitamin K, people on blood thinners should watch the amount of this vegetable they eat.

How to eat: Kale can be used in salads or sauteed with other veggies for a delicious side dish. Also try in soups or even as a homemade pizza topping.

— Betsy Q. Cliff, The Bulletin