History and product info
Silverbeet, also known as Swiss Chard, Spinach, Perpetual Spinach or Mangold is another member of the Beta vulgaris species. Commonly appearing with white stems and dark green leaves, there are several cultivars that have brightly coloured stems in yellows and reds. Both the stems and leaves are edible. The plants are easy to grow, and in fertile soils two plants should provide sufficient silverbeet to feed one person every day of the week.
Silverbeet is commonly thought to be a good source of iron. However, the iron in Silverbeet is not readily taken up by the body due to binding with high levels of oxalate also present in the vegetable. It is a very good source of folate with half a cup of cooked Silverbeet yielding approximately 60 mg folate. Silverbeet is also high in sodium.
For all of this and more head to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chard), Formula for Life (http://www.formulaforlife.com.au/asp/vegetables.asp?cmd=show&vegetableid=42&letter=S), Perth Diet Clinic (http://www.perthdietclinic.com.au/article.asp?GroupID=16&ArticleID=307), Jody Taberner (http://www.plantsearch.com.au, http://www.a1articles.com/article_33695_37.html)
Storage and tips
Silverbeet should be stored in an air tight container or in a bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator.