Chard
Swiss (white stem) and rainbow (colourful stem) are dark leafy greens. Rainbow chard is sometimes known as the leaf beat and both the chard and beetroot contain betalain which gives both vegetables their vibrant pink colour.
Nutrition
Both types of chard are a great source of Vitamin A and C as well as antioxidants like beta-carotene and lutein so similar to carrots eating them will support healthy eyes.
Shopping Guide
When shopping for chard, look out for crisp leaves and firm stalks.
Storage
Keep your chard in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
The deep flavours of the chard works well in stews, curries and casseroles or mix-up traditional sides like broccoli when sautéed in olive oil or butter and a bit of salt and pepper.
Seasonality
Buying veg in season is not only great for the planet, it can be good for your wallet, too! Seasonal veg are often cheaper and frequently taste better, so can be a better time to try with a child as the often sweeter, riper taste is more enjoyable.
At Its Best:
June - December
Engage
Here are some of our favourite ways to engage kids with chard:
Arts & Crafts
Start simple with some non-food based engagement. This is especially helpful for a fussier child or those with sensitivities around food.
For chard, why not try making an edible sea scene on a plate or tray using chard for seaweed and other veggies for fish, crabs, sand or waves? Or try drawing a close up chard leaf by observing it under a magnifying glass to get the veins, lines and leaves just right!
Science
Science allows for curiosity, play and hands-on experiments. It helps kids to become fascinated with veg – how it looks, reacts, smells, cooks and more. Finding fun and simple experiments to allow kids to play with their veg makes them curious about it and helps them approach it in a positive way.
Explore chard leaves by investigating the leaves, veins, stems and colours of them with a magnifying glass. Buy rainbow chard so you can see the different rainbow-coloured stems. How are they different to leaves on trees? How are they similar? What is the texture like?
Sensory
Sensory exploration can be a wonderful introduction to physically interacting with veg. Turn it into a positive, pressure-free experience by starting off with the golden rules of “You don’t need to try and you don’t need to like.” Reassuring a child that, while they have a chance to taste a veg, they don’t have to, and are not expected to like it if they do, can make them more happy to engage with it.
Try exploring chard leaves of varying colours using regular white-stemmed chard and/or rainbow chard. What does it look like? How does it feel? What colours can you see? Does it remind you of anything? Does it have a smell? Try biting through the leaves and stems separately, or snapping them by your ear if not up to trying them, and see if the leaves or stems sound crunchier.
Kids in the Kitchen
Children who help to prep and cook veg are more likely to eat it. If you feel your child is ready to help and could benefit from it, keep the stress and mess to a minimum by choosing one simple task for them to do as part of the prep, meaning they can be involved and feel like the recipe is in part ‘theirs’, but also not make the process too much longer or more complicated.
For a younger child, why not get them to wash the chard by separating out the leaves and giving them a good wash and dry. If they want to do more, can they help pull the leaves off the stems and tear into small pieces?
For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to practise some essential knife skills using the claw grip to roughly chop the leaves.
DOWNLOADS:
Use our Kitchen Ninja chart and videos to find simple ways for kids to help in the kitchen.
Your Food
Find your go-to meals in our family favourites section and see what veggies work best with them.
Find out how to add more veg to your suppers here.
Recipes
Serving
The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it!
The first thing to do is remove the pressure. If the veg doesn’t get eaten, it’s not the end of the world. There will be other days, other dinners, other chances. Fun is key here – try not to worry about mess, perfect table manners, or playing with food. Instead, focus on making the process of getting the food to the plates, readying the table, and the actual eating relaxed.
The best principles for success here are the Three Rs (role modelling, rewarding, re-offering) which you can read about here.
But there is one more way you can serve for success, and that is giving your child a role. You don’t have to do this every time, just encourage them in their strengths through it when you can.
Here are some of our favourite ideas:
Design a menu
Come up with a silly name or story for a dish
Help with making a meal plan and choosing veg for dinners or snacks
Help to serve up the meal on dishes, lay the table or create a centrepiece to be involved in the physical ‘serving up’ process
The Wonderful World of Veg
Check out our vegepedia. When to buy in-season. How to store them to keep for longer. How to engage children with each veg, and simple ideas of how to prepare and cook them for maximum taste and minimum waste. Select a veg…