Looking for a healthy green to add to your steady rotation of spinach, kale and arugula?
chard is versatile and loaded with nutrients.
Read on for more answers to the question, what is chard?
Getty Images / Maren Caruso
What is chard?
Its large and crinkly leaves are attached to a thick, crunchy, fibrous stem.
What are the different types of chard?
Chard comes in several varieties, differing from one another by their stem color and leaf vein color.
Despite the stem color fading with cooking, all chard varieties have deep green leaves.
Chard may also be available all year round in your local grocery store, depending on where you live.
What does chard taste like?
Similar to spinach, most varieties of chard are earthy and pleasantly bitter when eaten raw.
The exception lies in the ruby and rhubarb varieties, which carry a slightly stronger flavor than others.
On the other hand, the stalk has a different profile.
It may remind you of the texture of celery and the flavor of earthier beets.
This stalk is also thicker than the leaves and so will take longer to cook.
Nevertheless, all varieties may be easily used inrecipes that call for greens.
What are the health benefits of chard?
Chard is a low-calorie vegetable, providing just about 7 calories for every cup,uncooked.
Cooking chard makes it more dense, offering3 grams fiber per cupof cooked greens.
Chard also has plenty of essentialnutrientsproviding a range of health benefits.
Research has associated it with a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration.
Like many leafy greens, chard is a good source ofpotassium.
This mineral is highly concentrated in the chard’sstem.
Potassium plays an important role in supporting healthy heart, kidney and muscle function.
A diet that ishigh in potassiummay also be linked to lower blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
Chard’s deep lush green pigment comes from the compoundsapigeninandbetalains, which have antimicrobial andanti-inflammatoryproperties.
How to use chard
Chard is a versatile vegetable like kale and spinach.
Baby chard leaves are perfect for salads, with their tender texture.
Like the mature leaves, the chard stems are also ideal for sauteing or stir-frying.
(Learn to cook chard.)
Browse our collection ofchard recipesfor meal inspiration.
