Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Nutrition Data: Chard - A Dark Green Leafy Vegetable #NNM

Eat Right with Color!

Dark Green Leafy Nutrition
The US Department of Agriculture recommends adults eat 2 1/2 - 3 cups of vegetables a day. The amount recommended varies depending on your age, sex and level of physical activity.  Eating a daily colorful variety from all the food groups, especially fruits and vegetables, will help you maintain a healthy body weight; reduce disease risks; plus, provide your body with important antioxidants and nutrients like beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium, copper, potassium, folate and Vitamins A, B-6, C and K.

The USDA classifies vegetables in 5 subgroups based on their nutrient content: dark green vegetables, orange/red vegetables, starchy vegetables, dried black-eyed peas and beans and 'other'. The 'other' category includes a lot of veggies, including: eggplant, cucumbers, celery, cauliflower, mushrooms and asparagus. Chard falls in the dark green leafy vegetable category along with collard greens, bok choy, butterhead lettuce, kale, mustard greens, broccoli, turnip greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, mesclun and watercress. 

As you can see from the nutrition data posted above, chard is packed with dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants - a good reason to grow and eat this colorful veggie! Fresh, frozen or canned veggies can be prepared in a wide variety of recipes.
'Eat Right with Color' is a slogan for the American Dietetic Association's National Nutrition Month® Nutrition Data calculated by Diana Wind using USDA nutrient values.

2 comments:

Tessa @ Blunders with Shoots, Blossoms 'n Roots said...

I love chard- I just run out of ways to prepare it!

GardenCuizine said...

We're growing it for the first time this year. I'll post pictures and recipes. I liked your blog =) Thought the baby spinach was chard at first with its colorful stems!