Swiss chard is not that well known among us. The reason is simple. It is not that tasty and we kind of oppress it. We undermine this vegetable so much so that we have forgotten all of its wonderful properties.
In this brief post, I shall give you four reasons why you should not oppress it ever again. If you are not convinced at the end of the post, then I think you may have lost faith in vegetable forever.
What are Swiss chard’s main benefits?
I believe in knowing what each vegetable content is before making a judgment. This is the case with the Swiss chard. If you think that 100 grams of Swiss chard can give your body the following:
- Increase your protein levels
- Fiber
- You’ll get vitamin A, B1, and B2
- Eating it will provide you with niacin and B6
- You’ll increase your level in folates
- You’ll have more vitamin C and E
- The plant is full of calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, zinc and sodium
What else do you want?
All of these superb swiss chard content. Now you cannot ignore it anymore. I guess after this little introduction, you’d want to know more and eat more of it.
Now back to the business of knowing this plant‘s health benefit to your body.
What are the real benefits of Swiss chard to you?
There are many benefits, but I’ll give you four of the main ones.
1- Swiss chard to act against Obesity
What I do like about this ingredient is that it just close your stomach down. In essence, when you eat the chard, you reduce your need to eat.
You’ll somehow lose your appetite, but the chard is so low in calorific value, that you do not gain weight. So if your aim is to lose weight, eat the chard at night. You’ll see some wonderful results.
2- Help with Anemia
Because the chard is full of iron, then it is highly recommended for victims of anemia disease. It will provide them with the right amount of iron. This plant is also good for people who do not have anemia and are low in iron levels.
The right example is pregnancy. Many of women have low iron levels during pregnancy. As such, they can use the chard to increase their level of iron, without having to use pills (that may have a negative effect on them and the baby).
3- Chard to alkalize your blood and purify it too
Because the Swiss chard is rich in mineral salts, it can alkalize your blood. This helps your body fight again many diseases. The minerals also purify your body and flush it.
4- Swiss chard improve your digestive system
This plant is really unique in this matter. It not only improves your digestive system, it also reduces constipation, hemorrhoids, and gastritis. So if you have intestine and stomach issues, you can always increase your consumption of this plant.
How to eat Swiss chard?
As you know, there are hundreds of ways to consume this plant. Here are three methods that I use. You can invent yours based on the below recipes.
1 – Raw consumption
Swiss chards have tender leaves. As such one can eat them in a salad. Just cut them in small pieces add some onions (the purple type), olive oil, some salt, and pepper without forgetting lemon juice and that’s it. I like it, but some of my guests do not. It is up to you to chose if you like it or not.
2- Boiled chard or steamed
I prefer them steamed. Why? Because you do not lose any of their properties, while when you boiled them and get rid of the water, you lose some of their benefits to your body. This is just a matter of preference, and you can choose either solution that works for you.
When boiled or steamed, just add a little bit of lemon juice, some oil, and salt. The dish is healthy and ready to be consumed. Note that I cut the chard into small pieces so that it is easier to eat. I cut them after steaming or boiling.
3- Leaf stems
This is an interesting one. What I do is I steam the plant. Then I cook them in a pan, and finally roast them. A bit of work, but the taste is great. Do not forget to add some salt when you roast them.
What to use to steam the chards?
I have used two different methods to steam the chards. The first one is the method that my great grandmother used to use and is based on the use of a pan. The second one is more modern and uses electricity to do the job.
If you do not have anything to steam the chards, then click on the below pictures. You’ll be able to buy a steamer for steaming your chards.
The gas cooking type steamer
The electric streamer for your chards
Conclusion
Though Swiss chard is not that well known as a healthy food in the west, it is clearly used widely in Asian cuisine. In fact, it is one of the cousins of Swiss chard that is used in Asia. A couple of billion people cannot be wrong.
Now it is your turn. Start eating this plant as it is good for your health. I can act on anemia, obesity, support your digestive system and alkalize your blood.
Back to you
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See you soon in another Omigy post.