Swiss Chard is not a green you see on the menu very often. Spinach, kale, sure. But don't we all get sick of those sometimes?
Swiss chard is a cousin of the beetroot and has a much milder flavor for those who may not be fans. Containing loads of antioxidants and vitamins, it's also very tasty and can be eaten raw or cooked. Be careful not to add too much salt, as it contains sodium naturally. It also has dietary nitrates, which help increase oxygen levels in the body for cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.
Cancer, diabetes, and a high blood pressure fighter, chard can be found in white, yellow, or red stalks, or a mixture of all three called rainbow. There's no big flavor difference between varieties, so feel free to use whatever color you can find. In today's recipe, I used a red bunch I received from my CSA Box that was almost too beautiful to eat. Yes, I am a veggie nerd. But seriously, check it out! ⬇😮
I also chose to use butter in the recipe, which I know makes people start screaming, but what about cholesterol?!
While butter may not be the best choice to eat with a fork, in small amounts, it may actually be beneficial. Check out this systematic review and meta-analysis research article here for the long story, and a great summary from HealthLine here. The bottom line is butter shouldn't be consumed in large quantities, but it does have health benefits and can be a flavorful additive to many recipes (vegetable recipes, not cookies) 😉
If you are on blood thinning medications, you shouldn't increase your intake of chard or green leafy vegetables too quickly because of the high vitamin K content. Other than that- adding a delicious red pop to your plate does a spoonie body good!
Give the below recipe a try, and let me know what you think!
