Swiss Chard Vegetable – No Downside to the Swiss Chard

There is one food that has it all and that is the Swiss chard vegetable. It’s not often that you come across an all inclusive food that offers everything from having a great taste, healthy nutrients and healing qualities. On top of that, as a weight loss food, you’d be hard pressed to find better as one cup of boiled, chopped Swiss chard contains only about 35 calories.

This truly underrated vegetable is a cool season vegetable that is actually a beet that has been bred specifically to produce more leaves and less stems. The leaves are of course more popular in the USA rather than Europe where the stems are preferred. You can prepare and cook the Swiss chard in a variety of ways without losing too many of its vitamins. For example, it’s delicious sauteed simply with garlic and a little of a good extra virgin olive oil. If you prefer, you can also just steam it, perhaps with one or two of your favorite herbs and sliced lemon.

Speaking of vitamins, I don’t know of any other single vegetable that contains as many nutrients as the Swiss chard. If you’re thinking Vitamins A, B, C, E and K, you’d be right. It also contains calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. This list is by no means exhaustive but does explain why it is consistently rated as one of the very best vegetables to include in your diet, whether you’re trying to lose weight or not.

The Swiss chard vegetable has a very high level of beta-carotene. Now, beta-carotene has been widely studied by medical researchers because of its potential to provide protection against certain types of cancer. In fact, researchers in Australia studied the diets of two groups of men: those who had had skin cancer and those without cancer. The researchers discovered that the men who were less likely to develop skin cancer were those who ate more food full of beta-carotene, like the Swiss chard vegetable.

Swiss chard is easy for the novice gardener to grow. All it needs is a well-drained soil, improved by the addition of aged compost. If you water regularly and keep it free from weeds, you should be able to harvest and enjoy your crop four to six weeks after planting. And, since the Swiss chard is relatively frost resistant, don’t be afraid to experiment and plant them two to three weeks before your last frost. You should have good results.

All in all, the Swiss chard vegetable will make a worthwhile addition to your vegetable garden. It is versatile, tastes great and is full of healthy nutrients. And, if you’re trying to lose some weight, this vegetable with its low calorie content should be the first one picked in your diet.

Swiss Chard Seeds
For a huge selection of swiss chard seeds, visit Amazon.com. Remember, it’s better to get the organic seeds.

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