Nothing more unfair than the reputation of 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. It is about one of the oldest vegetables that are known, since their consumption is documented for more than six millennia.

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

There are three varieties main chard:

• The common or white chard
• Forage chard
• wild chard

This vegetable is a very useful food to achieve balanced 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 to relieve certain ailments.

Nutritional values ​​of chard

How many calories do chard have?

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

• Calories: 16 kcal
• Proteins: 2.1g
• Fats: 0.2g
• carbohydrates: 3.7g
• Fiber: 1g

Properties of chard

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

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

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

Benefits of chard

Our ancestors sensed the great benefits of chard and included it in many stews or used it to accompany cereals and tubers. Without a doubt, they paid attention to the needs of the body, giving it flavor, many nutrients and avoiding unnecessary calories.

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

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

1. Strengthens bones. Mainly due to its richness in minerals, it is a strengthening food. It is a excellent source of calcium, especially for people who do not consume dairy products.
2. Helps lose weight. It is an essential food in low-calorie diets to lose weight. Chard satisfies the appetite with a very low caloric intake (about 20 kcal/100 g). So when boiled, sautéed or seasoned with oil and lemon, they constitute a light dish that can be part of the dinner of anyone who wants to lose weight.
3. 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 recommended 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.
4. Fight anemia. Due to its high iron content, and also the presence of copper, it helps treat iron deficiency anemia. It is interesting to keep in mind that this iron will be better absorbed thanks to the vitamin C that chard already has in abundance.

Chard in the kitchen

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

Before cooking it it is advisable to wash it well in cold water, as it usually contains soil. You can sauté it in good olive oil with pine nuts and raisins, or combine it with walnuts and silken tofu in a refreshing salad.

They are delicious, and there are no simpler dishes than accompanied with potatoes or chopped very finely 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 it in plenty of salted water for a few minutes, then drain it and prepare it according to the recipe you want to make.

However, nutrient loss is minimized, if it is cooked only with the water that remains after washing, without covering and stirring with a wooden spoon.

This way it better preserves its color and intensifies its flavor. A splash of lemon or apple cider vinegar will help season them when prepared this way.

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

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

How to prepare the stalks

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

To do this, first remove the fibers from the veins and cut the stems into pieces about 3 cm long. They are placed in a saucepan with plenty of water and salt and cooked for 35 minutes.

After draining them, each stem is dipped in flour, shaken to remove the excess, dipped in beaten egg and fried in hot oil.

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

Purchase and conservation

Chard should be preferred firm and crisp, without brown spots and with well colored leaves.

To prevent them from turning black during cooking, they can be previously soaked in slightly salted water for a minute or two, or sprinkle with lemon juice or vinegar.

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

Chard that has well-formed buds and smooth, shiny, uniform green leaves without spots should be chosen. The stalks have to be hard and white.