- Related to beetroot and spinach.
- Glossy dark green leaves.
- White veins.
- Thick fleshy white stems.
- Grown for its leaves.
Silverbeet is either raised as seedlings or directly sown. Silverbeet needs to be grown quickly with regular watering and generous fertilising. Silverbeet prefers cool temperatures, but it can tolerate high temperatures better than spinach can. High temperatures will slow down leaf production.
Silverbeet is closely related to the beetroot. It is basically a beet without a bottom. Silverbeet has been popular even before the days of the Roman Empire and originated in Europe around the Mediterranean.
Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris (Chenopodiaceae)
Alternative Names: Swiss Chard
Health Benefits
A good source of dietary fibre, folic acid, and vitamin C. Contains vitamin B6 and riboflavin and is low in sodium.
100g of silverbeet (Swiss Chard) yields the following:
- Calories – 19
- Total Carbs – 1% of DV
- Protein – 1.8g
- Dietary Fibre – 6% of DV
- Vitamin A – 122% of DV
- Vitamin C – 50% of DV
- Calcium – 5% of DV
- Iron – 10% of DV
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Selecting tips
Select silverbeet with fresh, dark green, crisp leaves and stalks. Avoid leaves which are wilted or scarred.
Trim and remove stalks. Wash leaves and slice. Use in stir-fries, steamed, pureed, combined in quiches, pies or filo parcels.
Storage: Cut off a large section of white stalk, and store stalks and leaves in an airtight plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper.