Food #3 : Swiss Chard

Oh yay!

Believe it or not, we've approached one of my absolute favourite foods on the Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating list: Swiss Chard!

Now, just thinking of Swiss chard makes me flash back to my childhood. It was a staple for dinners at my grandparents' house up in Canada - we'd have it all the time as a side dish to accompany pretty much anything. Nanny would steam it, then lather it with butter and sprinkle some salt on, and it was good to go. We've managed to find more ways to prepare it since then, but just plain old buttered Swiss chard will forever hold a special place in my heart.

So, why should we eat this (or try it if you haven't already had some)? According to The World's Healthiest Foods, Swiss chard is a "vegetable valedictorian." Swiss chard has been shown in multiple studies to be particularly good at preventing digestive tract cancers (colon especially), as well as seeming to have a protective effect on the kidneys.

Swiss chard packs quite the punch, too. It seems just simple and salty, but each serving of Swiss chard contains: concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard is also a very good or good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid. That's a lot for such a little vegetable!!

Want to try to work some Swiss chard into your diet? Here are a couple of recipes to try out. The first is one that we actually just made on Friday night (and LOVED!), and the second is one that we're going to try later this week. Both come to you from the Whole Foods website.


Coconut Milk-Braised Greens

Salt to taste
2 bunches collard greens, kale or Swiss chard (about 1 pound total), stemmed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Black pepper to taste
Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add greens and cook for 2 minutes; drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved greens, coconut milk and lemon juice, stir well and simmer until tender, 5 to 7 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Nutrition

Per serving (about 13oz/356g-wt.): 280 calories (190 from fat), 21g total fat, 10g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 450mg sodium, 19g total carbohydrate (10g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 7g protein




Greens with Carrots, Feta Cheese, and Brown Rice

2 carrots, shredded
2 bunches dark leafy greens (kale, collard greens or Swiss chard), tough stems removed, leaves very thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 (20-ounce) package 365 Everyday Value frozen Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice, prepared according to package directions
Method

Put carrots, greens, onions, 1/4 cup water, salt and pepper into a large, deep skillet and toss well. Cover and cook over medium heat, tossing once or twice, until greens are wilted and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss with feta cheese and spoon over brown rice.
Nutrition

Per serving (about 14oz/410g-wt.): 290 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 900mg sodium, 46g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 11g protein