For years, health-conscious Americans have dutifully choked down kale, believing it to be a nutritional powerhouse. But a recent column at PJ Media suggests we may have all been duped — and that the leafy green’s rise to superfood status was nothing more than a PR stunt.
According to writer Steve Green (aka VodkaPundit), a self-described ‘professional carnivore’ named Sama Hoole has revealed that kale only became a superfood because a publicist in New York invented a trade association that did not exist.
‘Before all that, the biggest kale buyer in America was Pizza Hut,’ Hoole said, noting that the chain bought 14,000 pounds of it in 2012 — not for the menu, but to lay around the salad bar to hide the ice. In short, kale was ‘the doily’ — the stuff you put food on, not the food itself.
Green, who has long loathed the vegetable, calls it ‘Hell Lettuce’ and ‘celery for masochists.’ He recalls his first introduction to kale via a 1990 episode of Cheers, in which the character Woody unknowingly endorses a V8-like drink called Veggie Boy, only to later exclaim, ‘You can really taste the kale!’
But the real question for many is whether kale is actually good for you. Hoole claims that eating a kilogram of kale — which would take most of an afternoon and ‘do something permanent to your jaw’ — still wouldn’t provide the digestible protein of two eggs. And the iron in kale is the non-heme variety, which your gut mostly turns away.
If true, that would undercut the main reasons many people force themselves to eat it. Green notes that ‘on the nutrition side, Hoole is on shakier ground — but maybe not by much, if you’re getting older and what you need is more protein and iron.’
Still, the story of kale’s marketing is a compelling one. The invention of a fake trade association — the ‘American Kale Association’ — to boost sales would be a savvy, if deceptive, move. It’s a reminder that in the world of food trends, perception often trumps reality.
For those who have never liked kale, this may come as a relief. As Green puts it, ‘You don’t have to pretend to like kale any longer.’
Of course, this is one man’s opinion, and nutrition experts might dispute some of the claims. But if you’ve been forcing down salads full of crinkly leaves while wondering what all the fuss was about, you may finally have your answer.
Source: pjmedia.com — https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/08/27/its-official-you-can-stop-pretending-to-like-kale-n4956606
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions.
