Nutrition can be confusing. One day the egg is a great source of nutrition, and the next, it will single-handedly cause heart disease. One day coconut oil will save your life and the next it will kill you immediately.

But what if it wasn’t nutrition that changed? What if while our knowledge of nutrition has been growing steadily over the years, it’s actually the media giving you nutritional whiplash? What if kale isn’t so great, but canned green beans… might be ok?

In the early 2000s, kale was known mainly by those who owned tortoises or managed Pizza Hut franchises. At least the tortoises were eating the kale. Pizza Hut was using the green leafy vegetable at thousands of US locations to garnish the salad bars. Nope, nobody was eating it. Aside from the tortoises. Crunch.

So how did kale end up on the menu at every high-end or corner restaurant? Even more, why was it featured on bumper stickers, sweaters, and even embroidered pillows? Oberon Sinclair, the genius behind the marketing push, was hired in 2013 to make it happen. Who hired her? The American Kale Association, of course.

But the plot thickens. One might think that the American Kale Association would be composed of farmers, perhaps those involved in shipping, or maybe even the tortoises mentioned earlier. But the truth is that nobody who had been involved with the growth or shipment of kale was familiar with this organization. As it turns out, the American Kale Association was a figment of the imagination–of Oberon Sinclair’s imagination. It had been her personal agenda to convert the masses and make them lovers of kale. Well, Oberon, checkmate. You win.

But is kale as good as Oberon Sinclair wants you to believe? According to Mayo Clinic, kale in its many forms is a wonderful source of A, K, B6, and C, calcium, potassium, copper, and manganese. It is low in calories and low in carbohydrates. It has more iron than steak and more calcium than milk (by weight and volume respectively). It’s full of antioxidants to help fight cancer and sulfur compounds to help the liver naturally detoxify your body.

But, the story isn’t all that sweet. Kale growth was encouraged during the Victory Garden era

that followed WWII, and then was grown through most of the 20th century as a decorative plant. Although America doesn’t have a history of enjoying kale, it was included in the many Victory Garden pamphlets enthusiastically given to the public due to its easy-to-grow and hardy nature. Eating kale was a great way to supplement meager rations with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. People presumably ate the kale they grew in these small gardens, such as in this Creamed Kale recipe from the 1950s, but once kale production went commercial, that all changed.

People stopped eating kale–and almost as soon as there was any other viable option. It turns out that Victory Garden kale wasn’t as sweet or attractive as the varieties available in your local store these days. That’s right, experts say that the baby leaf curly kale available now is much tastier than the wartime version.

That brings us back to Pizza Hut. Because commercially grown kale wasn’t meant to be consumed for most of the last century, farmers didn’t have to be careful to ensure its safety. In 2009, more than 92% of kale still had residue from two different pesticides after appropriate washing. In 2022, kale holds spot #3 for produce with the most pesticide residue.

Does kale provide nutrition? Yes.

Can you get that nutrition elsewhere? Also yes.

How can I enjoy my delicious kale salad? Washing kale with water removes about 55% of pesticide residue. Washing with vinegar can remove more. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to a sink full of water and submerge your kale fully. Let it soak for 15 minutes. Drain the water and give the kale a quick rinse. To dry, lay the kale out on a kitchen towel until completely dry or hand dry each piece individually. If not dried, kale will turn to mush. Not delicious.

Ding ding ding! And now back to the ring. Kale has slipped on its own pesticide residue and seems to be faltering. Canned Green Beans is gearing up for quite a punch…