Turning Kale Chips into Kid-Friendly Fun: A Food Therapy Experiment

Trying to get your child to eat something other than white, processed, or sugar-filled foods? We were too. That's why we consulted a food therapist who suggested we introduce new flavors and textures thematically by comparing them to a "safe" food our child enjoys. And what did our child enjoy? Crunchy processed snacks like potato chips, cheese balls, and Funyuns. So, we were skeptical when we were told to introduce kale chips, but we gave it a shot.

How to Make Healthy Eating Fun

1. Involve the child in the food making process. Ours jumped at the opportunity to wash and tear the kale leaves off the stems. Rubbing oil on each leaf and sprinkling them with seasoning proved to be a fun sensory activity for them as well.
2. Explore like a scientist. We made observations together with all the other senses before tasting. "How does it feel? Is it crumbly? Crispy?" "Does the smell remind you of anything?" "Can you find the biggest piece for me?" "Can you find the smallest piece for you?"
3. Keep it neutral. No pressure or expectations. The snack was made available to everyone, and we all took some. If they ate it or didn't, we didn't make a fuss.

End result? We made them twice this week and the first time she made a face and looked like she might spit it out. Our 5 year old then declared she doesn't like kale chips and asked if we could go buy some potato chips. Second time, she surprised us by trying another piece. This time she said, they were better than the first time "because the soy sauce made them tastier." The Chinese Tiger mom in me squealed with joy (but only on the inside... remember, keep it neutral!)

We used our Instant Vortex Plus air fryer to make these in under 5 minutes cooking time. These can also be made in the oven, but with an air fryer it's so much easier and more energy efficient, win-win! (In the market for a new air fryer? Check out our reviews of the Best Air Fryers of 2023)

Air Fryer Kale Chips Recipe

Ingredients

• Kale: You can use any kind of kale, we started with red kale because it's easier to separate from the stems.
• Oil: You don’t need much oil, just enough to lightly coat the leaves.
• Salt or Soy Sauce: For our first batch we used salt, but the second time around we sprinkled about a teaspoon of soy sauce and mixed with our hands which yielded much better results.

Directions

I poured about a tablespoon into a small bowl and let the kids dip their fingers in the oil before rubbing them on the leaves and tossing them gently to make sure they were all coated. Sprinkle on some salt or soy sauce then toss everything into your air fryer basket. Spread the leaves into an even layer (you may need to cook in batches).

Air fry the kale chips at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 4-5 minutes, shaking them halfway through cooking. Keep a close eye on them after 3 minutes as they go from crispy to burned very easily. This is where having an air fryer with a clear viewing window becomes quite handy.

Pour them into a large bowl to serve. Good luck with your discerning eaters!

Other Air Fryer Veggie Recipes We Love

After this initial win, our food therapist recommended we keep it in the rotation so that it shows up regularly during meals, along with other leafy green chips. Here are some of our go-to favorites that usually take 15 minutes or less from fridge to plate.

• Air Fryer Green Beans by Feel Good Foodie
• Air Fryer Broccoli by Chew Out Loud
• Air Fryer Asparagus (So Easy) by Momsdish
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts by Well Plated

So, go ahead and try out these air fryer recipes with your little ones. Who knows, maybe they'll surprise you and ask for seconds of their veggies!