Vegetables
Swiss chard
Nutrition facts
Serving: 2 cups (70 g)
| Nutrient | Per serving | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 13 kcal | |
| Protein | 1.3 g | |
| Carbs | 2.6 g | |
| Fibre | 1.1 g | 4 % |
| Sugars | 0.8 g | 1 % |
| Fat | 0.1 g | 0 % |
| Saturated fat | 0 g | 0 % |
| Sodium | 149 mg | 6 % |
| Vitamin K | 581 µg | 484 % |
| Vitamin A | 214 µg | 24 % |
| Vitamin C | 21 mg | 23 % |
Values per serving, calculated from the USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy).
What the label does not say
- Two raw cups cover 484% of the daily value for vitamin K: it is one of the foods most concentrated in that vitamin, a central fact for people on anticoagulants.
- Like spinach, Swiss chard is very rich in oxalates: its calcium (51 mg per 100 g) is largely bound and poorly absorbed, and its oxalates matter for people prone to kidney stones (Noonan and Savage, 1999).
Preparation
Boiled then drained, it loses a large share of its soluble oxalates into the water, along with a little potassium and vitamin C (Chai and Liebman, 2005); sautéed or steamed, it keeps everything, oxalates included. The stalks take longer to cook than the leaves.
To mention to a professional
- If you take warfarin, Swiss chard is one of the vegetables richest in vitamin K: do not add it to or remove it from your diet without talking to your professional.
- If you have had calcium oxalate kidney stones, Swiss chard, like spinach and rhubarb, is among the foods richest in oxalates; mention it.
Sources
- Chard, swiss, raw
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (raw and cooked Swiss chard)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin K fact sheet
- Noonan and Savage, 1999 (food oxalates)
- Chai and Liebman, 2005 (cooking and oxalate content)
Educational information: it does not replace the advice of a health professional, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or are breastfeeding.