review of maroyaka kale extract by yakult health foods

The Japanese are known for their longevity.

It is a fact that in Japan, there are more people over 100 years old per 100,000 population than anywhere else in the world. Japan also has the lowest death rates from cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Thus it was with great interest that I attended the launch of the Maroyaka Kale extract late last month.
Maroyaka Kale is a rich and tasty Aojiru (green juice) made from premium kale. This makes Maroyaka Kale an aojiru in its genuine form. Kale, considered to be an original species of cabbage and broccoli, contains beta-carotene and is high in calcium. It is especially good for people who have, or feel that they have a low intake of vegetables. In other words, you can now drink your vegetables without having to take your blender out of the cupboard!

Maroyaka Kale is grown by contract farmers in special soil without chemical or pesticides in the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture. The farmers put time and effort into the cultivation of the kale, including the removal of pests by hand. The kale leaves are harvested in the morning, and transported to the nearby Yakult Health Foods factory to be processed with as little heat as possible on the same day. You really can't get anything fresher than that!

Maroyaka Kale powder comes in sachets of 9g and dissolves easily in cold water or milk. That was how I initially consumed the kale. In the beginning, I was unused to it and thought it tasted mildly of grass (not that I really know what grass tasted like) but after a day or two, I found that I quite like the taste - it was more like a pure vegetable.

Then I started eating Overnight Oats for breakfast because I liked the idea of consuming more calcium (from milk and yoghurt), fibre (from the oats) and vitamins and minerals (from the fruit). I then thought, why not add the kale extract into my morning oats?

This was what I did.

In a bowl, I combined the oats, milk and yogurt.

Into this, I added the fruits, in this case, strawberries and grapes. You can add any fruit you like, really.

I mixed everything together, added honey and placed the oats in the fridge overnight.

Finally, just before eating, I sprinkled one sachet of Maroyaka Kale extract powder onto the oats and mixed. It was simply delicious!

In addition, I also started adding the kale extract into my very picky 4-year-old's yogurt. Aden is going through the I-would-not-eat-any-vegetable stage, and the LAM and I were despairing. Since green is his favourite colour, and he is also mad about yogurt, I told him I was adding green sprinkles onto his yogurt, and lo-and-behold, he happily ate everything, including the kale extract! Needless to say, the LAM and I are both thrilled!

So, having tried this product for more than 3 weeks, would I recommend it to anyone else? The answer is a definite YES!

It is a great product for those who want to "eat" more vegetables, and it is definitely a great product to help parents add vegetables to the diets of kids (over 3 years of age) who refuse to eat their vegetables.

Maroyaka Kale is available at Guardian Pharmacy outlets retailing at the introductory price of $79.90 from now till 30th September 2014, after which the usual price of $87.90 applies.

RECIPE
Overnight Oats with Maroyaka Kale (Serves 1)
Adapted from CulinaryKitchenette 

Ingredients:
40 g old-fashioned rolled oats
100 ml milk - I used low-fat milk
100 ml Greek yogurt (or fruit yogurt)
1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup, or any other preferred sweeteners)
Fruit, as desired
1 sachet Maroyaka Kale extract powder

Method:
1. Combine rolled oats, milk and yogurt.
2. Add fruit and honey.
3. Place in fridge over-night.
4. Add Maroyaka Kale extract powder, and additional fruit, if desired.
5. Serve cold.

Disclaimer: I was invited to the product launch of Yakult Health Foods by AT Marketing Consultancy. I received a box of Maroyaka Kale for the purpose of this review. While this post is also sponsored by Abeille d’Or (Singapore). all opinions expressed here are my own.