Grocery shopping 10 years ago was drastically different for me than it is today. Iceberg lettuce sat in the produce drawer of my tiny apartment refrigerator until it browned and I eventually threw it out. Terms like ‘kale’, ‘spinach’, and ’collard greens’ were foreign to me. As I gracefully aged (much better than that iceberg lettuce I might add), I became a green leafy snob. Iceberg? Ewh. Powerhouse greens are all the rage, so I want to introduce you one of my favorite and nutritious leafy loves. Say hello my ‘lil frien’ – the powerhouse food, CHARD
If you aren’t eating chard (otherwise known as swiss or rainbow chard), you need to be. Chard is packed-full of essential vitamins and minerals in each beautiful leaf. One serving will give you almost 40% of your daily intake of magnesium and over 300% (THREE HUNDRED PERCENT) of vitamin K. Chard also packs a great source of folate and vitamins A and C. Ok that all sounds great, but what does it mean?
Let’s start with magnesium. Magnesium aids in digestion, hormone production, regulates energy levels, and helps with muscle recovery. And Vitamin K is essential for bone health, brain function, and works as an anti-inflammatory. Vitamin K is also needed for blood clotting, which is important for injury recovery.
Vitamin A supports vision, skin, and hair growth and is critical for immunity support. Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen (bye bye wrinkles!), and that collagen production also supports ligaments and tendons. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and helps reduce stress.
And finally, folate aids in the production of new cells. And if you have a bun in the oven, folate helps lower the risk of some birth defects.
Can you see a common theme here? All these vitamins and minerals are especially crucial for active people (‘lil friens) like yourself!
Ok, now that you are a smarty pants about all the amazing benefits of chard, let’s get down to business. How can I consume chard without having to plug my nose while eating it? Well, first off, the name is totally deceiving. Chard – rhymes with lard. I admit, it doesn’t sound appealing. But it can be! Here are some ways to incorporate this super-food into your diet.
- My favorite way to eat chard is sautéing in olive oil, adding a little himalayan salt and serving it with my eggs in the morning. Throw chard in a frittata, omelet, scrambled, or fried eggs for the ultimate breakfast of champions.
- Try adding chard to your regular salad routine. Chard works well with romaine, arugula, and spinach.
- Add pieces of chard to your next pot of soup – the chard will wilt down and make a nice addition to any vegetable or broth based soup.
- Throw chard in your morning smoothie. Just add a little fruit to sweeten and you won’t even know it’s there!
- Add it to warm mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes. The heat will wilt the leaf pieces and pumps that mashed comfort food with a big dose of nutrients.
- Use chard to replace a bun or wrap. The consistency and texture is very similar to red leaf or butterhead lettuce , so wrap it around your burger, throw deli meat inside for a wrap, or use it cradle your chicken sausage.
- If you are feeling super adventurous, blanch chard leaves by submerging them in boiled water for 1-2 minutes, then dunking them in an ice bath. This makes the chard soft and pliable. Perfect for stuffing with cooked, seasoned ground beef, or turkey. Using the leaves as a wrap – roll in the meat and secure the edges like a little leafy burrito. Then place in a casserole dish and pop into the oven to warm throughout.
Are you convinced yet? Don’t make me go all Al Pacino on you! Any other ways you incorporate chard or other nutrient-packed leafy greens in your diet?
Greens should be a must in our everyday eating habits!
Totally agree Katerina! Such great, nutrient-dense food!
I should try that. I could easily add it to smoothies in the morning. Thanks for letting us know what a powerhouse chard is!
Totally! Once you start putting chard (or kale or spinach) in things here and there, it becomes like second nature!
LOVE Chard!
ME TOO! We are such food dorks! 😉
I love greens but do not think I have ever had chard. Your post convinced me that I need to try it! Thanks.
Chard is great! It’s less bitter than Kale and similar to spinach when sautéed. Thanks Trish!
I’ve tried chard in stir fries, but with eggs? Now that’s a great idea!
Oooo chard is stir fry is another great idea! Thanks Maggie!
one of my very favorite “greens”! Chard “bed” for my over easy egg – breakfast divine!
Ditto! Best breakfast EVAAAA!
Thank you for sharing this. This is one vegetable I’ve been wanting to try but didn’t know how . Now I can try it.
Glad you stopped by Madelaine!
Thanks for all the great ideas! I had not thought of using chard as a wrap or with mashed potatoes. Good ideas. Pinning for later use. Thanks,
You are so welcome Carol. Glad I could help. Thank YOU!
Chard-lover here! I, too, blogged about it recently. One of my favorite veggies these days.
Whoo hoo! A chard-lover after my own heart!!!
I had never heard of chard before! I will have to look for it! Great article!
Hi Jaime – you will definitely have to try it. I hope it becomes a mild obsession for you like it is for me 😉
I love chard and we have been making so many dish with this delicious green!!
That’s so awesome Ludmilla! Thanks for stopping by!
Great post and so helpful! My mom cooks with chard a lot, but I’ve always been hesitant to buy it! Now I know I need to give it a second chance 🙂
Hey Mira – I’m sure if you give that chard some love it will love you right back. That mom of yours is a smarty lady! 😉
Haha, I totally used to be the iceberg lettuce kind of girl too, but now I can’t even remember the last time I bought or ate the stuff..I’m all about the dark leafy greens now! I’m glad you gave us some inspiring ways to use chard! It’s not a green we eat as often as kale, so it’s nice to now have some recipe ideas in mind. Thanks, Chrissa!
SAME! Like, what the heck is iceberg lettuce anymore?! I totally consume a ton of kale too, but it’s always nice to mix it up a bit. Thanks for stopping by Joscelyn!
Hooray for chard!! I have recently fallen in love with chard and am always adding it to my smoothies. I was really hesitant to do so at first, but it’s like spinach in that you don’t even notice it!!
Ariana – a lover of chard, we have such a quirky commonality 🙂 Chard is so easy to incorporate, just like spinach. Love that you love it too!
Ha I’ll be honest, I’ve seen this in stores and cookbooks and had NO idea what they were talking about! So glad you shared. I”ll definitely be trying to work it into our diets!
Nice! Glad I could help Lauren. You will be a chard-cooking-feen in no time!
Great info on chard, Chrissa. It makes me want to go down to the Sprouts store and buy some. I have used it in smoothies before and it adds a refreshing taste. I also like it in soups and do that a lot in the fall. I have been more into spinach, kale and romaine lately but your post reminds me of how good chard is for you – will be adding it to my next grocery shopping list.
Thank you Kimberlee. You are a leafy pro already! Does your produce drawer look like it’s exploding green like mine? So glad you stopped by!
Thanks for the ideas. I have a lot of chard in my garden right now and need a few new ideas on how to use it. I really want to try the simple sauté with my morning eggs. Sounds delicious!
I’m so envious of your garden! I kill almost everything I try to grow. Glad I could help inspire you Kati!