Swiss chard: properties, benefits and nutritional value

Nothing is more unfair than the reputation of the chard for being a boring vegetable. Its vitamin and mineral content is exceptional and, well prepared, it is delicious. Discover its incredible properties and health benefits.

Origin of chard

The name chard comes from the Arabic word “acilca”, and botanically it is called beta vulgaris. Is about one of the oldest vegetables that are known, since their consumption is documented for more than six millennia.

It originates from the Asian continent, and has always been cultivated in Islamic countries, being attributed hygienic and healing properties.

exist three varieties main chard:

The common or white chard The fodder chard The wild chard

This vegetable is a very useful food to achieve a balance diet since it offers, in addition to vitamins and minerals, few calories, few fats and a lot of fiber.

In addition, chard acts as an excellent medicinal plant which can be used as a home remedy for the relief of certain ailments.

Swiss chard nutritional values

How many calories do chard have?

Swiss chard offers an excellent supply of vitamins and minerals, being one of the lightest vegetables. In every 100 grams of chard we find:

calories: 16 caloriesproteins: 2.1gfats: 0.2gcarbohydrates: 3.7gFiber: 1g

Swiss chard properties

The numbers show that Swiss chard It is a super nutritious food: 200 g (a normal serving) provide 38 calories (only 2% of what is required per day) and yet cover 27% of the daily needs for potassium, 30% for calcium, half the iron, almost half of magnesium, 100% of vitamin C, 25% of vitamin E, two thirds of A, and even 7-8% protein.

Compared to the much more appreciated spinach, Swiss chard is the exceeds in magnesium, provitamin A and folic acidand equalizes it in vitamins B1 and B2

The conclusion that emerges from these figures is really surprising, since the ratio between calories and nutrients is 1 to 10when in other foods this relationship is inverse until reaching 10 to 0 of sugar.

Swiss chard benefits

Our ancestors sensed the great benefits of chard and included it in many stews or used it to accompany cereals and tubers. Undoubtedly, they paid attention to the needs of the organism, giving it flavor, many nutrients and avoiding unnecessary calories.

It is only necessary to mention, against him, that contains some oxalic acidso if you are prone to kidney stones, you should consume it in moderation.

Its leaves, green and shiny, contain pigments with antioxidant properties, which, together with its richness in beta-carotene and vitamin C, helps prevent cancer. Here are some of the main benefits of Swiss chard:

Strengthens the bones. Mainly due to its richness in minerals, it is a fortifying food. Is a excellent source of calcium, especially for people who do not consume dairy products.It helps to lose weight. It is an essential food in low-calorie diets to lose weight. The chard satisfies the appetite with a very low caloric intake (about 20 kcal/100 g). So that boiled, sautéed or seasoned with oil and lemon, they constitute a light dish that can be part of the dinner of those who want to lose weight.Avoid constipation. It is suitable for those who suffer from difficulties in intestinal transit due to its richness in fiber and its emollient and softening power of the intestinal tract. These same digestive properties make it recommendable in cases of gastritis and hemorrhoids. The decoction, at a rate of 25 to 50 g per liter of water, is useful against constipation, inflammation of the urinary system, hemorrhoids and dermatoses.Fight anemia. Due to its high iron content, and also to the presence of copper, it helps to treat iron deficiency anemia. It is interesting to note that this iron will be better absorbed thanks to the vitamin C that chard already has in abundance.

Swiss chard in the kitchen

Its use in the kitchen is like that of spinach. they can even be combine both vegetables in tortillas, creams and fillings, so that their flavors are balanced.

before cooking it should be washed well in cold water, as it usually contains earth. It can be sautéed in good olive oil with pine nuts and raisins, or combined with walnuts and silken tofu in a refreshing salad.

They are delicious, and there are no simpler dishes than accompanied with potatoes or very finely chopped with a good bowl of boiled rice.

Both its green leaves and its stems are excellent for making vegetable broths, in combination with root vegetables.

To season them you can use oregano, thyme, mint, freshly ground nutmeg and, of course, garlic.

The best way to cook them

The most common way to cook chard is to cook them in plenty of salted water for a few minutes, then drain them and prepare them according to the recipe you want to make.

However, nutrient loss is minimized if it is put to cook only with the water that remains adhered to it after washing, uncovered and stirring with a wooden spoon.

In this way it better preserves its color and intensifies its flavor. A squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinegar will help season them when they are made this way.

If the chard stalks are somewhat hard, they can also be cut separately and put them a few minutes before with a little water or oil, adding the green leaves later.

It should be taken into account that, as their volume decreases a lot when cooking them, up to 300 or 400 g of raw chard per diner can be calculated.

How to prepare the stalks

The white, fleshy stalks of Swiss chard are as prized as their leaves and can be prepare batters, both alone and stuffed.

To do this, the fibers are first removed from the veins and the stems are cut into pieces about 3 cm long. Put them in a saucepan with plenty of water and salt and cook for 35 minutes.

After draining them, each stem is passed through flour, shaken so that the excess falls off, passed through the beaten egg and fried in hot oil.

The leaves can also be served with sauce or even raw in salads.

Purchase and conservation

You have to prefer chard firm and crunchy without brown spots and with well colored leaves.

To prevent them from blackening during cooking, they can previously be kept in slightly salty water for one or two minutes, or drizzle with lemon juice or vinegar.

It is a fragile vegetable that can be preserved five days maximum (unwashed and in a perforated plastic bag). if they go to freeze the chardit is very important to blanch the leaves first to prevent them from spoiling.

Those chards that have a well-formed heart and smooth, shiny leaves with a uniform green color and without spots should be chosen. The leaves have to be hard and white.