If you've been living under a nutrition rock and haven't heard of kale, it's high time you met this leafy crusader. Advantages? A serious vitamin and mineral arsenal, versatility in your meals, and did we mention it's low-calorie? So, get ready to fall in love with this green diety and rotate your greens like a true foodie.

Brought to you by the same botanical family who gave you cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and collard greens, here's kale, our cruciferous trendsetter with an uncanny knack of popping up on your plates, especially in the undeniably frigid months when its cousins are hard-to-find. Stealing the spotlight with its boldly hued leaves of purple and green, it’s been a veggie mainstay since colonial times.

Kale, now available in enough varieties to confuse the hell out of you at your local market, adds a dash of color and subtly unique flavors to any dish. The most popular one being Curly Kale, recognizable by its fancy ruffle edges, closely followed by Red Kale, Lacinto or Dinosaur Kale, Baby Kale and both the Purple and White Flowering Kales. All as delicious as they sound.

Kale has a decent docket of health benefits to boast about. Packing a punch of antioxidants and Vitamin C, this leafy superhero wrestles with free radicals and inflammation, safeguarding cells and possibly keeping cancer at bay. What doesn't kill you apparently truly makes you stronger.

Looking to hone your 20/20 vision? Eat kale. Lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamins that keep your peepers sparkling, are found in kale. Vitamin K, found aplenty in this green, ensures your blood clots well and your bones stay fracture-resistant.

With Vitamin A, kale keeps your skin's luster intact. And if balanced blood sugar is your goal, manganese present in kale is your mighty ally. The insulin resistance nemesis.

When it comes to shedding some pounds, you can't go wrong with kale. It’s low-calorie, high in fiber and water content making it the perfect aid in reducing your waistline and curbing hunger pangs.

However, before you mass order kale from your nearest supermarket, understand this dynamo needs to be handled with care. Chosen correctly and stored well, your kale will last up to nine days. Yes! NINE WHOLE DAYS.

Of course, a cornucopia of meal options is available to incorporate kale. Sauté it, blend it, soup it, or salad it, the possibilities are infinite. However, people on blood thinners and those with thyroid issues need to consult their doctors before embarking on a kale-eating spree.

So, there you go, All Hail Kale! Switch, swap and rotate between greens like the nutrition ninja you are. You can thank us later.