is swiss chard part of the cabbage family

by Ashleigh Hartmann Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

These vegetables are a part of the cabbage family and include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, turnip greens and watercress.

dominate the winter garden at the ranch, so the chard is a welcome splash of color in the otherwise modest, muted, slow-growing sea of large-leafed plants of the cabbage family. The only question it ever posed to me, in fact, is why it's called Swiss chard.

Full Answer

What is Swiss chard?

Swiss chard is a leafy green belonging to the Chenopodioideae family, which also includes beets and spinach ( 1 ). Grown worldwide, it’s prized for its ability to grow in poor soils and its low need for water and light.

What can I plant with Swiss chard?

It can also be planted in peat pots or homemade newspaper pots indoors and then transplanted outdoors as seedlings into the garden. Bush beans (but not pole beans), onions and kohlrabi are excellent companions for Swiss Chard.

What is the difference between spinach and Chard?

Chard's flavor is comparable to spinach, although this depends on what cooking technique is used. It can be bitter, especially Swiss chard. Cooking tends to diminish the bitterness so that its earthy, sweet, almost beety flavor is most pronounced.

What are the other names for chard?

This green vegetable also goes by many other names, including Bright Lights, Chilean beet, mangold, perpetual spinach, Roman kale, silverbeet, spinach beet, and white beet. What is often most noticeable about chard is its array of colors.

What family does Swiss chard belong to?

Family ChenopodiaceaeSwiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla in the Family Chenopodiaceae) is a type of beet that does not produce an edible root. Also know as silverbeet (mainly in New Zealand and Australia), chard is a biennial plant grown as an annual for its rosette of big crinkly leaves and/or wide crunchy stems.

What is Swiss chard related to?

Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable, closely related to beets and spinach.

Is chard lettuce or cabbage?

Introduction. The colorful, leafy green known as Swiss chard is actually a beet that was developed specifically for its edible stems and leaves, which are often used in recipes as a substitute for spinach.

Is Swiss chard in the kale family?

Swiss chard is included in the same family of vegetables as beets and spinach, but commonly grouped with mustard greens, kale, and collards. Swiss Chard has broad leaves and a husky, crisp stalk.

Is Swiss chard a cruciferous vegetable?

Here's why: kale and Swiss chard are cruciferous vegetables. Diets rich in beta-carotene (the plant form of vitamin A) and vitamin C may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Cruciferous vegetables include phytochemicals (chemical compounds produced by plants) such as flavonoids, indoles and sulforaphane, to name a few.

Does Swiss chard have another name?

Swiss chard is also known as stem chard, spinach beet, leaf beet, white beet, seakale beet, and silver beet. Some gardeners choose to feature chard in their gardens because of the chard's colorful stem and decorative large green leaves. Swiss chard does not originate in Switzerland- it was name by a Swiss botanist.

What vegetables are part of the cabbage family?

Many common vegetables belong to the cabbage family (genus Brassica). The edible members of this family are called cruciferous vegetables....Cabbage family cousinsArugula (also called rocket).Bok choy.Broccoli.Brussels sprouts.Cabbage.Cauliflower.Chard.Collard and mustard greens.More items...•

Can you eat too much Swiss chard?

Spinach, Beet Greens, and Swiss Chard Consume too much and you may be in for unpleasant symptoms such as kidney stones, abdominal pain, low blood pressure, tremors or convulsions, vomiting, and weak pulse.

What are the benefits of eating Swiss chard?

Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin K and a good source of vitamin C and magnesium. Swiss chard also contains the antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Vitamin A plays a significant role in normal formation and maintenance of many organs including the heart, lungs and kidneys.

Which is healthier kale or chard?

Swiss Chard And mustard greens holds its own by having the least amount of calories and slightly more protein and calcium than kale. All four types of greens are also rich in many other nutrients, including manganese, folate, copper, choline, magnesium, potassium and vitamins E, K, B2 and B6.

What vegetables are in the brassica family?

A member of the family of vegetables that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, and turnips.

What's the difference between Swiss chard and kale?

Both are best with leaves removed from the stem, though chard stems can be cooked to tender, whereas kale stems will not tenderize and are best discarded. The taste is the biggest difference. Kale is an acquired taste, and not everyone enjoys its strong, earthy, slightly bitter flavor.

Swiss Chard is a Three Season Crop

Swiss Chard is a beautiful plant as well as a nutritious green and could easily be grown as a showy plant. It is perhaps one of the most nutritious greens you can grow. Recent studies have shown that Swiss Chard contains at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants.

Can I Bring a Dead Succulent Back to Life?

If there’s one type of plant that we know to be trending not only because it’s pretty but also for its low maintenance, that would be succulents. Succulents are naturally resilient and drought-tolerant. As such, they will most likely survive even if you forget to water them every once in a while.

How to Use an LCR Meter

An LCR meter is the name of a specialized measuring instrument that is used for the purpose of measuring the typical parameters of electrical components. LCR meters specifically measure a physical property called impedance, which is the opposition offered by a circuit to the flow of current that goes through it.

Growing in Pots: 9 Secrets to Successful Container Gardening

Growing your container garden is a fun & easy way to unleash your creativity & add some color to your outdoor space. The best thing is that container gardening is not limited to a balcony garden. You can have your container plants anywhere like patios, walkways, front doors, decks, etc.

7 Tools That Every Backyard Gardener Should Own

While there may be snow covering your property at the moment, if you are an avid gardener, you are likely making your plans for the spring. If you have been inspired by the movement towards a more sustainable lifestyle and dream of growing your own food, you will want to arm yourself with all the tools you will need to be a garden warrior.

Tips for Attracting Wildlife to Your Urban Garden

When we think about a wildlife garden, we tend to think about thatch-roofed cottages surrounded by the sprawling British countryside, but many don’t consider that, in fact, our city and suburban gardens can be perfect for wildlife too.

Liven up Your Garden Area With Large Plant Pots

Gardening is an amazing hobby for most individuals. It takes you close to the beauty of nature. You get to raise plants that would remain seeds if you do not nurture them.

General values

Foods with high water content help you stay hydrated. Water also helps transporting nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.

Sugars

The total amount of sugars, including glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, and trehalose. A sugar-heavy diet can cause metabolic dysfunctions.

Minerals

Calcium is a mineral which is very important for bone health. The recommended daily dose for adults is approximately 1000mg.

Vitamins

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that comes in various forms. It is primarily important in maintaining healthy vision and the development of bones, soft tissues and skin. IU (International Units) is the unit of measurement that almost all food labels use.

Amino acids

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body needs for growth, for creating the sleep hormone melatonin, the neurotransmitter serotonin and for the synthesis of vitamin B3.

Antioxidants

Kaempferol is a bioflavonoid found in many plants. It has antioxidant properties and is currently being used in cancer research, as it is thought to reduce the risk of various cancers.

Buying, Cooking, and Recipes

Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.

What Is Chard?

Chard is perhaps most commonly referred to as Swiss chard (which is one varietal), and it's related to beets. Chard greens look similar to beet greens, but unlike beets, the root of chard is inedible. The green leaves have a grooved, bumpy texture running up a colorful, thick stem. Both parts are edible, but they do cook at different rates.

How to Cook With Chard

Younger chard leaves can be eaten raw in dishes like salads. The more mature leaves are tougher and best served cooked. As with collard greens and kale, it's best to remove the stems and ribs from the centers of the leaves because they can be tough and fibrous.

What Does It Taste Like?

Chard Recipes

Chard makes an appearance in a variety of dishes and is just as versatile as spinach. It's used in salads, stir-fries, soups, casseroles, and dumpling recipes.

Where to Buy Chard

When bunches of rainbow chard are available, they're easy to spot among the leafy greens in a produce market. Many grocers do carry some variety of chard, especially during the summer, which is chard's peak season. A bunch will likely cost more than spinach or lettuce—it's typically grouped with specialty greens like kale.

Storage

For the best storage results, separate the leaves and stems, storing the two separately for up to one week in the refrigerator. For the leaves, lay them out on paper towels, then roll them into a bundle before sealing in a plastic bag. The stems can also be wrapped in plastic.

List of cruciferous vegetables

Extensive selective breeding has produced a large variety of cultivars, especially within the genus Brassica. One description of genetic factors involved in the breeding of Brassica species is the Triangle of U .

Research

Cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates, which are under research for their potential to affect cancer. Glucosinolates are hydrolyzed to isothiocyanates (ITCs) by myrosinase. ITCs are being investigated for their chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects.