Rainbow Chard
Don’t be intimidated by this nutritionally packed dark green leafy vegetable. In terms of nutrient density, there’s few foods that are rated higher than swiss chard.
From the website, World’s Healthiest Foods, “Similar to spinach and beets with a flavor that is bitter, pungent and slightly salty, Swiss chard is truly one of the vegetable valedictorians with its exceptionally impressive list of health promoting nutrients. Although Swiss chard is available throughout the year, its season runs from June through August when it is at its best and in the greatest abundance at your local supermarket.”
So, what does it look like and how do you know how to pick good chard if you see it in the supermarket? Check out this short video for the basics. Here, she discusses red chard, but this can apply to white, yellow, and green varieties too. Often, swiss chard is found with mixed stems in a bunch.
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So, you’ve bought your swiss chard and bring it home. Now what? Check out this video in how to prepare your chard.
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Finally, you’ll need to cook your swiss chard. It can be eaten raw mixed in with other salad greens, but for most people it’s far too bitter. I suggest gently steaming the chard with a little garlic, butter or olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Here’s a video that demonstrates how to cook greens. I couldn’t find any good ones that show swiss chard specifically, but they are all prepared the same way. Note that this is just one way to prepare greens. There are other ways out there (like slow cooking).
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These greens are available all year ’round through distributors, but are also available from local farmers starting in late spring. Here in Schuylkill County, our local farmer Little Peace CSA provides us with wonderful crisp, colorful rainbow chard (red, yellow, green). There’s nothing like having some freshly harvested kale prepared as described above with a piece of grilled salmon.
ENJOY!!!
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Salmon with side of Chard
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(Are you interested in how to live a more healthy lifestyle and incorporate foods like swiss chard into a healthy dietary program? If so, Dr. Touchinsky offers wellness counseling both in one-on-one and group settings. Call the office at 570-366-2613 for more information and the schedule a free consultation with the doctor to see if you’re a good fit for the program.)
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