Swiss chard, aka Mangold, Spinach Beet and Silverbeet, is a leafy vegetable that serves as a very popular ingredient in many Mediterranean recipes. A member of the plant family Amaranthaceae, it is closely related to garden beets and spinach and resembles them in its taste profile. Swiss chards come in a variety of colors, which include red, white, yellow and orange. Sometimes, they are marketed by bunching the different colors together. This is referred to as ‘rainbow chard’ and can be taken either raw, as salads or cooked and sautéed. Chards, with their crunchy stalk and fan-like green leaves, are renowned for their medicinal properties and have been honored many-a-times by the ancient Greeks and Romans, for this very fact only. In fact, the great Greek thinker and philosopher Aristotle wrote about the vegetable in fourth century BC. The main cultivated varieties of the vegetable are the Lucullus and Fordhook Giant, among the green forms and the Ruby Chard and Rhubarb Chard, among the red-ribbed forms. A Food Rating Chart has been provided below, for your better understanding of the nutritional value of Swiss Chard.
Swiss Chard Nutrition Facts
Amount of Swiss Chard: 1 cup
Total Weight of Swiss Chard: 36 grams
|
Nutrients
|
Amount
|
|
Basic Components
|
|
|
Protein
|
0.6 g
|
|
Carbohydrates
|
1.3 g
|
|
Water
|
33.4 g
|
|
Ash
|
0.6 g
|
|
Calories
|
|
|
Total Calories
|
28.5 KJ
|
|
Calories From Fat
|
2.5 KJ
|
|
Calories From Carbohydrate
|
19.7 KJ
|
|
Calories From Protein
|
6.7 KJ
|
|
Carbohydrates
|
|
|
Dietary Fiber
|
0.6 g
|
|
Starch
|
0.6 g
|
|
Sugars
|
0.4 g
|
|
Glucose
|
0.4 g
|
|
Sucrose
|
0.4 g
|
|
Fructose
|
0.4 g
|
|
Lactose
|
0.4 g
|
|
Maltose
Galactose
|
0.4 g
0.4 g
|
|
Fats
|
|
|
Total Fat
|
0.1 g
|
|
Vitamins
|
|
|
Vitamin A
|
2202 IU
|
|
Vitamin A
Retinol Activity Equivalent
Alpha Carotene
Beta Carotene
|
110 mcg
16.2 mcg
1313 mcg
|
|
Niacin
|
0.1 mg
|
|
Betaine
|
0.1 mg
|
|
Vitamin C
|
10.8 mg
|
|
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)
|
0.7 mg
|
|
Vitamin E (Beta Tocopherol)
|
0.7 mg
|
|
Vitamin E (Gamma Tocopherol)
|
0.7 mg
|
|
Vitamin E (Delta Tocopherol)
|
0.7 mg
|
|
Folate
|
5.0 mcg
|
|
Vitamin K
|
299 mcg
|
|
Pantothenic Acid
|
0.1 mg
|
|
Minerals
|
|
|
Calcium
|
18.4 mg
|
|
Copper
|
0.1 mg
|
|
Iron
|
0.6 mg
|
|
Magnesium
|
29.2 mg
|
|
Manganese
|
0.1 mg
|
|
Phosphorus
|
16.6 mg
|
|
Potassium
|
136 mg
|
|
Selenium
|
0.3 mcg
|
|
Sodium
|
76.7 mg
|
|
Zinc
|
0.1 mg
|
|
Saturated Fats
|
|
|
16:0 Palmitic
|
10.8 mg
|
|
Mono Fats
|
|
|
18:1 Oleic
|
14.4 mg
|
|
Poly Fats
|
|
|
18:2 Linoleic
|
22.7 mg
|
|
18:3 Linolenic
|
2.5 mg
|
|
Other Fats
|
|
|
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
|
2.5 mg
|
|
Omega 6 Fatty Acids
|
22.7 mg
|
|
Amino Acids
|
|
|
Alanine
|
13.0 mg
|
|
Arginine
|
42.1 mg
|
|
Aspartate
|
13.0 mg
|
|
Cystine
|
6.8 mg
|
|
Glutamate
|
13.0 mg
|
|
Glycine
|
13.0 mg
|
|
Histidine
|
13.0 mg
|
|
Isoleucine
|
52.9 mg
|
|
Leucine
|
46.8 mg
|
|
Lysine
|
35.6 mg
|
|
Methionine
|
6.8 mg
|
|
Phenylalanine
|
39.6 mg
|
|
Proline
|
13.0 mg
|
|
Serine
|
13.0 mg
|
|
Threonine
|
29.9 mg
|
|
Tryptophan
|
6.1 mg
|
|
Tyrosine
|
39.6 mg
|
|
Valine
|
39.6 mg
|
Buying & Storing Tips
- Be very careful while choosing Swiss chards from the vendor. There should be no signs of wilting or tiny holes. Also, the leaves should be devoid of any yellowish or brownish discoloration
- The stalks of the vegetable should be crisp and unblemished, with vivid green color leaves.
- For a crispier, crunchier and sweeter taste, select the chards that have been kept in the chilled display section of the shop.
- For the purpose of storing the chards, keep them unwashed in a plastic bag, in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. This way, they can be stored and kept fresh for several days.
- In case you have large batches of the vegetable, you can store them by blanching the leaves and then freezing them.
