I have a backyard vegetable garden that produces tons of healthy veggies during the spring and summer months. And during the winter season there is kale. It is hearty and sturdy and even survives the occasional Vancouver snowfall (as long as it’s not too snowy out). So I’ve been harvesting it quite often lately and using it in recipes (e.g. soups, shepherd’s pie, kale chips). Fun times.

But the more I talk to friends about cooking, I have come to the conclusion that kale is the new trendy, healthy food du jour. It reminds me of the pomegranate from a few years ago or the blueberry from a decade ago. It got me thinking that it’s just slightly bizarre that every so often a certain food item will suddenly take off and be so incredibly popular for a time until it becomes so common and is just designated the status of being expected (or Lord forbid, passe).  I realize that health fads come and go but seriously – to designate particular food items as being trendy and fad-like? I compare it to eating acid-wash and skinny jeans? I am slightly perplexed. It just seems wrong on various levels.