Organic swiss chard / rainbow chard from Hong Kong

Organic colorful swiss chard growing in local organic farm.

• Chard is referred to as Swiss chard, which is a close relative of the beet and is grown for its leaves and stems as opposed to the edible root. Swiss chard is a popular choice by consumers.
• The leafy green is known for its bright colored stems of red, yellow, pink, and purple. The major varieties of Swiss chard include Bright Lights, Bright Yellow, Fordhook Giant, Lucullus, Rhubarb Chard, Rhubarb Red, and Ruby. The different kinds of chard bunched together are known as Rainbow Chard, which is the common name to describe the bright stalks.

What is Swiss Chard?

According to BBC Good Food:

"Also known simply as ‘chard’, Swiss chard has large, fleshy, tender, deep-green leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they’re unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more assertive (or, as some think, bitter) flavour.

Different types of chard have different coloured stalks and ribs – some are white, some are golden-orange and some are red (called ruby or rhubarb chard), and there’s even rainbow chard. There’s very little difference in taste, but ruby chard can have a slightly stronger flavour."

Rainbow Chard / Swiss Chard health benefits

1. Swiss chard, just like spinach, is the storehouse for many phytonutrients that have health promotional and disease prevention properties.

2. Chard is very low in calories (19 kcal per 100 g fresh, raw leaves) and fats, recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.

3. Chard leaves are an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin, vitamin-C. Its fresh leaves provide about 33% of recommended levels per 100 g. As a powerful water-soluble antioxidant, vitamin-C helps remove free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the human body through its reduction potential properties. Research studies suggest that regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C help maintain normal connective tissue, prevent iron deficiency, and also help the human body develop resistance against infectious agents by boosting immunity.

4. Chard is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; 100 g provides about 700% of recommended intake. Vitamin-K has potential role bone health by promoting osteoblastic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet help limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has an established role in the treatment of patients who have Alzheimer's disease.

5. It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin-A, flavonoids antioxidants like ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Carotenes convert into vitamin-A inside the human body.

6. It is also plentiful in the B-complex group of vitamins such as folates, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid that are essential for the optimum cellular metabolic functions.

7. It is also a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. The human body utilizes manganese as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for cellular oxidation and red blood cell formation.

Regular inclusion of chard in the diet has been found to prevent osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and vitamin-A deficiency; and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers.

Above source

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We offer organic fresh vegetables and fruits locally-grown in Hong Kong Farms delivered straight to your door.

We support Hong Kong local organic farmers and provide an online ordering platform for customers to pick from their seasonal harvest.

approx. 300g