Swiss chard is still making a big appearance at my local farmer’s market…how about yours? If you’ve been wondering about whether or not you should pick up some of these leafy greens, I say, do it!
Swiss chard is sometimes known as white beet, strawberry spinach, Chilian beet, leaf beet, spinach beet, Sicilian beet, Roman kale, or regular old chard. Whatever you call it, this is one healthy vegetable.
It’s also a sweet-tasting vegetable. I like putting swiss chard in my salads, soups, and even my omelets.
By the way, swiss chard is an easy veggie to grow yourself so give it a try!
Now, let’s take a look at the benefits of eating swiss chard:
Blood sugar regulation. Swiss chard is loaded with protein and fiber so it will keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel. There’s also a flavonoid in swiss chard that keeps blood sugars even.
Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidizing, and detoxifying. Swiss chard’s veined leaves are full of antioxidants and detoxing agents.
Calcium. You don’t often think of calcium when you think of leafy greens, but you should! Swiss chard contains lots of bone-strengthening calcium.
Vitamins. One cup of swiss chard contains up to 8 times the recommended daily amount of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is great for bone health! Chard also has lots of vitamins A and C as well.
Steam your chard a wee bit before eating it, just enough to bring out its sweet flavor. And do not eat the liquid that’s released through the cooking process. The cooking process releases some acid from the chard leaves.
There is magic in dark leafy greens like swiss chard. In my book, Part-Time Paleo: How To Go Paleo Without Going Crazy, I give lots of advice about how to get these very important plants into your diet. Don’t put off ordering a copy!
A great tool for going Paleo without going crazy is our Dinner Answers subscription — you’ll receive a menu each week right in your email inbox!
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I t always seems to put my teeth on edge when I cook it. Maybe I am leaving the acids in ? what do you think I could do differently oh wait . I could read the book ! duh. I have not been throwing our the water . and when I add it to soups of course it’s all in there. See you today in Decatur!