Chard: Properties, Benefits, and Culinary Uses

It stabilizes blood pressure and facilitates intestinal function. It also increases the feeling of satiety, thus aiding weight loss.

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Chard: Properties, Benefits, and Culinary Uses

La chard, or chard, is a precious and easy to cook vegetable. Its benefits They affect the skin, hair, bones, and even intestinal transit. Because they quickly induce a feeling of satiety, they are also highly recommended for weight loss diets. Swiss chard comes in two varieties: ribbed chard, with large, broad leaves and a pronounced central rib; and grass chard, smaller in size and with thin leaves. Of the ribbed chard, the most common, there are also red-ribbed varieties.

chard
Photo by Jacqueline Macou from Pixabay – Swiss Chard in the Garden

Nutritional values

One hundred grams of chard cooked in hot water, without adding salt, provides 33 calories. And also:

  • 76,8 grams water
  • 2,6 grams protein
  • 6 grams of carbohydrates
  • 6 grams of soluble sugars
  • 1,6 grams fiber total
  • 0,2 grams of lipids

As for the minerals, in the same hundred grams of chard there are:

  • 220 milligrams of Potassium
  • 130 milligrams of calcium
  • 62 milligrams of phosphorus
  • 52 milligrams of Magnesium
  • 1,2 milligrams of Zinc

Finally, chard contains Vitamin C and K.

chard on the table

Benefits

  • Thanks to potassium it helps to keep blood pressure values ​​in order
  • Facilitates intestinal transit
  • It develops a strong sense of satiety, and for this reason chard is highly recommended in slimming diets.
  • Strengthens bones
  • The combination of potassium and sodium promotes its diuretic properties
  • Lutein and quercetin help slow down the natural aging process of cells
  • Lutein protects the eyes, while biotin produces benefits to the skin and hair

Use in the kitchen

Swiss chard is an easy vegetable to use in the kitchen. Here are some recipes you can find on our website.

chard rolls

How to cook it

I nutrients Almost all chard is heat-sensitive. Therefore, it's best to steam or grill it. Cook the white stems first, cutting them into thin slices, and then add the green part, cut into wider strips, towards the end of cooking.

Controindicazioni

The only real contraindication, aside from those allergic to this type of vegetable, is the presence of oxalates, which, when combined with calcium, form calcium oxalates. This is not recommended for those with kidney stones.

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