Mangold: The cabbage stem is so healthy
Swiss chard has a lot in common with spinach : not only does it look similar, but its taste is also reminiscent of spinach. The beet plant is also called cabbage in Switzerland and can be prepared in many ways. In addition, chard is very low in calories and a healthy supplier of various vitamins and minerals. Here you can find out what you should consider when preparing chard, what ingredients and nutritional values the plant has and why chard is good for your health. We also present a delicious recipe for Swiss chard pesto.
What is chard?
Swiss chard (Latin: Beta vulgaris) is a leafy vegetable that is available as stem chard or leaf chard. The leaves and stalk of the more common Swiss chard are green, firm and crisp, and the stalk is thick and white. Mangold is also available in other colors. The leaves can be yellow, light or dark green. The stems are white, orange, yellow, pink, or bright red.
Both leaves and stems are used as vegetables. Swiss chard tastes similar to beetroot or spinach, slightly to strongly earthy. Red chard can also be found as an ornamental plant in cottage gardens.
Swiss chard: nutritional values and calories
Chard is an extremely low-calorie vegetable. It contains 21 kilocalories (kcal) or 88 kilojoules (kJ) per 100 grams of fresh chard. For comparison: spinach contains almost the same number of calories with 22 kilocalories (kcal) or 93 kilojoules (kJ) per 100 grams of fresh leaves. The water content of chard at 92 percent is just as high as that of spinach.
In addition, the nutritional values per 100 grams of fresh Swiss chard are:
- Protein : 2.1 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Carbohydrates : 0.7 grams
Due to the low calorie and carbohydrate content, Swiss chard can also be consumed when trying to lose weight.
Swiss chard – healthy ingredients and effects on health
Because of its vitamin and mineral content, Swiss chard is considered a healthy vegetable.
The following ingredients are contained in significant amounts per 100 grams of chard:
- 39 milligrams of vitamin C : Vitamin C is important for building bones and teeth, blood formation and the immune system .
- 588 micrograms of Vitamin A: Vitamin A plays a role in vision, skin renewal and growth.
- 30 micrograms of folic acid : Folic acid or folate is essential for cell division and is therefore of particular importance during pregnancy.
- 2.7 milligrams of iron : As a component of the red blood pigment, iron is involved in the transport of oxygen and in the storage of oxygen in the muscle cells.
- 81 milligrams of magnesium : Magnesium contributes to the normal function of nerve and muscle cells and is important for the development of bones and teeth.
- 376 milligrams of potassium : Potassium, as a vital mineral , serves to transmit signals between the body’s cells and also has an influence on the regulation of blood pressure.
- 103 milligrams of calcium: Calcium is needed for muscle movement and is a building block for bones and teeth.
As a medicinal plant, chard has been used for restlessness and nervousness for centuries. It is said to help against concentration disorders and ensure mental freshness. Mangold is also used for constipation and other digestive disorders, as well as for skin diseases . However, none of these effects have been scientifically proven, but are based on experience in traditional folk medicine.
Oxalic acid in Swiss chard
Swiss chard has a relatively high oxalic acid content compared to other types of vegetables. 100 grams of fresh Swiss chard contains between 100 and 1,000 milligrams of oxalic acid. The amount of this acid depends, among other things, on cultivation, fertilization and the time of harvest.
Oxalic acid gives Swiss chard its tart taste. However , like rhubarb or spinach, it can leave a furry sensation on the tongue . The absorption of iron, magnesium and calcium from food is hindered by large amounts of oxalic acid, which is why oxalic acid is also referred to as a calcium robber. If chard is consumed in the usual amount, the amount of oxalic acid in healthy people is harmless.
Oxalic acid levels can be reduced by boiling or frying. If you don’t like the furry taste at all or want to remove a larger part of the oxalic acid, you should boil or blanch chard before further processing and pour away the cooking and blanching water. This reduces the amount of oxalic acid by about half.
Oxalic acid can promote the formation of kidney stones. People with kidney disease or a tendency to urinary stones should therefore avoid foods containing oxalic acid such as chard, rhubarb, spinach or sorrel.
Nitrate in chard
Nitrate occurs naturally in soil and is also found in fertilizers. Like some other leafy greens, including lamb’s lettuce , spinach, or lettuce, Swiss chard stores large amounts of nitrate. The nitrate content can change during the season and depends, for example, on solar radiation and temperature. It is between 100 and 400 milligrams per 100 grams of chard.
Nitrate itself is harmless to the body. Levels that are hazardous to health are generally not reached even when consuming nitrate-rich vegetables or drinking water . However, under certain circumstances, nitrate can be converted to nitrite, for example when nitrate-rich vegetables are stored for a long time or when they are reheated or kept warm for a long time.
Nitrosamine can in turn be produced from nitrite during digestion in the body. This is a compound that has been shown to be highly carcinogenic in animal studies. In addition, nitrite can impair the oxygen transport in the blood in babies.
For this reason Swiss chard should not be stored for a long time and should not be heated repeatedly. Since nitrate is mainly found in stems and leaf veins, removing these parts of the plant can help reduce the amount of nitrate in vegetables. Cooking or blanching can also reduce the nitrate content if the cooking water is not consumed.
You can also influence the nitrate content when purchasing: With organic chard, this is usually lower because other fertilizers are used. Outdoor vegetables that have been exposed to the sun for a long time and were harvested in a sunny month also have lower levels of the substance.
6 tips for preparing and storing chard
Swiss chard is best boiled, blanched, fried or steamed before consumption. It can also be eaten raw, but due to its high oxalic acid content, it is not recommended as a salad, especially if you have kidney or stomach problems, are iron-deficient or have small children.
Here are tips on how to properly prepare and store Swiss chard:
- What can you eat from Swiss chard? Both leaves and stalks of Swiss chard are suitable for consumption.
- How do you clean chard leaves? The vegetables should be thoroughly washed and freed from sand or soil before processing. Then shake it dry. Brown-tarnished stalk ends and unsightly areas can be easily cut off with a small knife.
- How do you cut Swiss chard correctly? If you get chard as a cohesive head, first separate the individual chard leaves from the head at the end of the stem before washing them. Then the leaves are detached from their stalks and cut separately: the leaves into strips and the stalks into fine pieces.
- How do you cook chard? Leaves and stems can be used together, for example as an ingredient in a stew or casserole. Since they differ in their cooking time, they can also be prepared separately: steam the leaves as a vegetable side dish and boil or fry the stalks like asparagus or black salsify.
- Can you freeze chard? Yes. Chard should be cut into pieces and blanched before freezing. This way you can keep it for several months.
- How is the storage done? Swiss chard is best eaten fresh. Otherwise, store it wrapped in a damp cloth in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. It can be kept like this for up to a week.
Recipe: Swiss chard pesto
Swiss chard impresses with its versatility in preparation. It can be found, among other things, as an ingredient in quiche, lasagne or soup, but it also tastes great as an accompaniment to potatoes or pasta. Its green leaves can be made into a delicious chard pesto. The pesto goes well with pasta, but can also be used as a spread.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 300 grams of chard
- 80 Gramm Parmesan
- 20 needles of rosemary
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 Bio-Lemons
- 3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
- 80 milliliters of olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Wash the chard thoroughly under running water. Separate the leaves from the stems and chop each into small pieces.
- Blanch the chard stalks together for 6 minutes and the leaves for about 4 minutes in boiling water and rinse in ice water.
- Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds in a pan without fat.
- Finely chop the rosemary needles and garlic , grate the Parmesan.
- Wash the lemon in hot water and grate the zest.
- Put all the ingredients together with the olive oil in a tall container and puree with the hand blender.
- Finally, season the pesto with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.
- Pour the pesto into hot rinsed glasses and cover with a layer of olive oil.
The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
Growing and harvesting chard
If you don’t want to buy chard, you can easily grow it yourself. Swiss chard is an easy-to-care-for vegetable that does not have any great demands on the location, but does need a lot of water. You can start sowing directly outdoors from mid-April. Cultivation in raised beds works particularly well, where the plants are also safe from voles.
With sufficient watering and good care, Swiss chard will continue to grow incessantly. The leaves can be harvested all year round, so chard is also in season in winter. When harvesting, you can either cut off the outer leaves only, leaving the heart of the plant to grow, or you can cut off all the leaves at once. Even then, after some time, the chard will begin to form leaves again.
The chard flowers in the second year after sowing. Then it is time to remove the old plant and sow new ones in the spring.
