Underrated Vegetables: Swiss Chard

Why it’s outstanding and how to cook it

If your shopping list looks the same every week, it’s time to branch out a little. Eating a wider variety not only broadens our nutritional horizons—providing a more balanced and diverse nutrient intake--- it also makes life so much more interesting. That’s why I am introducing this Underrated Vegetables series ---to highlight produce we might eye at the market but need a little push to toss into our carts.

First up, Swiss chard, one of my absolute favorite vegetables that should rightly be a celebrated superfood but never seems to make the A list. They say the difference between a regular food and a superfood is marketing---and I agree---so I am doing some Swiss chard PR here.

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What is Swiss Chard?

Swiss Chard is a dark green leafy vegetable that’s a member of the beet family. While its leaves are deep green, its stems come in a stunning variety of hues--- green, yellow, purple and red. Sometimes a mix of the different colors are sold in bunches called Rainbow chard. Chard leaves are mild tasting and can be used wherever you might use kale or spinach in recipes. Chard stems are delicious too, with a celery-like texture, and vibrant color.

What are Chard’s Health Benefits?

Swiss chard (like other dark, leafy greens) is incredibly nutrient-rich. A half-cup cooked provides more than 3 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K, a nutrient that is important for bone health and blood clotting. It has more than 100% of the daily value for vitamin A, 26% of vitamin C, and more than 10% each of iron, magnesium, manganese and potassium. It also contains significant amounts of fiber and calcium. All that for only about 18 calories. That’s what I’d call a poster child for nutrient density.

A half-cup of cooked Swiss chard also naturally contains 156 mg of sodium, so if you are watching your sodium intake you might want to hold back on salting it. And if you are on blood thinners, check with your doctor before changing the amount of vitamin K in your diet.

Chard also offers loads of health-protective antioxidants, and nitrates which have been shown to reduce inflammation, and help with blood pressure regulation, vascular health and athletic performance. (Nitrates are nitrogen compounds that are naturally abundant in produce --not to be confused with the unhealthy nitrites used as an additive in processed meats.)

How Do You Use It?