So… I’m not really a huge fan of eating healthy. Why? Because health food for the most part doesn’t taste very good. It’s bland, boring, and often lacks in butter and salt and MSG that makes food taste so fantastic. Also, as a college student it’s also usually pricey and harder to prepare than sticking a Hot Pocket in the microwave for a 2 1/2 minutes.

But nowadays, eating right and exercising is the latest craze. Low-fat, gluten free, kale, quinoa are probably terms you’ve seen on your local internet perusing haunts. I, too have seen these terms and, like the good New Yorker that I am, I cowered in fear behind my large Mickey D’s bag and pretended like it never existed. But it’s almost impossible to avoid now. Also, as college students it is important to build healthy and balanced diets now, so as not to suffer in the future. So this week, I’ll introduce and explain some of the healthy benefits of, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, quinoa and kale and then next week I’ll teach you how to make these foods actually taste good.

Let’s start with quinoa. So what exactly is it? And why are people going gaga over quinoa? Quinoa is a “grain-like seed” from the goosefoot family plant found mainly in the Andes in South America.

Not only are they able to grow in rather harsh conditions, they are also jam-packed with proteins, fats, minerals, fibers, and plenty of other goodies that make it a healthier and more nutritious alternative to your usual grains. It is also gluten-free, for all you unfortunate ladies and gents with gluten allergies. It cooks quickly and if prepared properly, won’t taste like a mouthful of dirt (I had a bad first experience with it), but rather tasty. For full nutritional facts, hit the link.

Let’s move on to kale. Kale is a vegetable with green or purple leaves.

It is found in the same family as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and collard greens. For starters, it is absurdly high in nutrients and fiber. It is said to have good properties for detoxing the body, and cancer-reducing agents. I am personally not a huge fan of kale. I first tried it raw, which it kind of tastes like stale, petrified collard greens, but earthier and tougher. I then found out that it is not only supposed to be cooked, but more more nutritious and tastier that way. For the full nutritional and health info, click here.

So there you have it! These two foods that are jam-packed with good stuff for your body. Stay tuned until next week to find a recipe on how to cook these two food titans together to make a monstrously healthy meal! Who knows? Maybe healthy can be tasty after all.