Vegetables and starchy roots
Cooked Swiss chard
Cooked Swiss chard is 93% water, so 100 g (3.5 oz) brings only 20 kcal and 2.1 g of fiber.
Estimated satietyHow it is calculated
Estimated satiety: 5 out of 5
| Starting point | +1 |
|---|---|
| Very low energy density: 20 kcal/100 g | +2 |
| Protein: 9.4 g/100 kcal | +2 |
| Fiber: 10.5 g/100 kcal | +2 |
| Solid food with 92.6 g of water | +1 |
| Sum | 8 |
| Capped at 5 | 5 |
Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): this food was not measured.
- Prepared by
- Alex Gonzalez
- Last updated
- Next review
- Sources
- 9 primary and 1 supporting
- Data
- USDA FDC 170401
No clinical review. No advertising from drug companies and no affiliate links.How we work
Nutrition facts
- Calories
- 30 kcal per serving
- 20 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Protein
- 2.8 g per serving
- 1.9 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Carbohydrates
- 6.2 g per serving
- 4.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- of which sugars
- 1.7 g per serving
- 1.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Fiber
- 3.2 g per serving
- 2.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Fat
- 0.1 g per serving
- 0.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- of which saturated
- 0 g per serving
- 0 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Water
- 138.9 g per serving
- 92.6 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Source: USDA FoodData Central: Chard, swiss, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC ID 170401), accessed September 23, 2026.
A typical 150 g (5.5 oz, about 3/4 cup) serving provides about 30 kcal, 2.8 g of protein, and 3.2 g of fiber.
What it is and how to eat it
Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) is, according to the Dictionary of the Spanish Language, a garden plant with large, broad, smooth, juicy leaves and a thick stalk grooved on the inside, and both the leaves and the stalks are eaten. It is sold fresh in bunches and also frozen, and it is eaten sautéed, in omelets or in savory pies and puddings. This page covers boiled, drained chard without salt, with 20 kcal, 1.88 g of protein and 2.1 g of fiber per 100 g according to USDA.
A 150 g (5.3 oz) serving provides only 30 kcal, 2.8 g of protein and 3.2 g of fiber, so it adds a lot of volume for very few calories and is best served alongside protein, for example sautéed with eggs or as a side to fish or chicken. Cooked, it is soft and easy to eat, and the 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests increasing fiber gradually for constipation. If you take warfarin, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements advises getting about the same amount of vitamin K every day, and cooked chard has 327 µg per 100 g according to USDA, so discuss any change in how much you eat with your doctor.
What the evidence says
A 150 g serving provides about 490 µg of vitamin K, more than six times the EU's 75 µg reference value, so it easily meets the condition for the authorized claim "vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting" (Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006, (EU) No 1169/2011 and (EU) No 432/2012). Its 2.26 mg of iron per 100 g exceed the 2.1 mg for a "source of iron" claim, but it is nonheme iron, which according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements is absorbed less well than the heme iron in meat and fish, and with 18 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, more than the 12 mg for a "source of vitamin C" claim, it also qualifies for the authorized claim "vitamin C increases iron absorption". A 1999 review reports 300 to 920 mg of oxalate per 100 g in the fresh leaves of Beta vulgaris var. cicla, chard, and explains that soaking and cooking lower the oxalate content and that eating high-oxalate foods occasionally as part of a varied diet poses no particular problem (Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition). The NIDDK suggests that people who have had calcium oxalate kidney stones avoid foods such as spinach, without naming chard, and ask a health care professional about other sources of oxalate.
Satiety
The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.
What to keep in mind on a GLP-1 medication
Frequently asked questions about cooked Swiss chard
How many grams of protein are in a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of cooked Swiss chard?
100 g (3.5 oz) of cooked Swiss chard has 1.9 g of protein. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 2.8 g of protein. That is 9.4 g of protein per 100 kcal.
How many kcal are in a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of cooked Swiss chard?
100 g (3.5 oz) of cooked Swiss chard has 20 kcal. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 30 kcal. That is a very low energy density.
How much fiber is in a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of cooked Swiss chard?
100 g (3.5 oz) of cooked Swiss chard has 2.1 g of fiber. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 3.2 g of fiber.
Does cooked Swiss chard keep you full?
Yes, very filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 5 out of 5. Calculation: 1 (base) + 2 (very low energy density: 20 kcal/100 g) + 2 (protein: 9.4 g/100 kcal) + 2 (fiber: 10.5 g/100 kcal) + 1 (solid food with 92.6 g of water) = 8; capped at 5. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.
What should I know about cooked Swiss chard if I take Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound and feel nauseous?
Based on our tags, this is what matters about cooked Swiss chard on a GLP-1 medication. “Easy to digest”: a soft or low-fat food that many people tolerate well when they feel nauseous or get full quickly. “Low energy density”: plenty of volume for few calories; make sure it does not push protein foods off your plate. “Hydrating”: a lot of water, which contributes to hydration when you eat and drink less. These are general guidelines, not medical advice: everyone tolerates foods differently.
What is a typical serving of cooked Swiss chard?
We use 150 g (5.5 oz) as a typical serving, about 3/4 cup. That amount provides about 30 kcal, 2.8 g of protein, and 3.2 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.
Similar foods
Sources
Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.
- Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Chard, swiss, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC ID 170401).accessed .
- InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "acelga" (in Spanish).accessed .
- Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
- InstitutionNIH Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin K: Fact Sheet for Consumers.accessed .
- RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods (Annex).accessed .
- RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (Annex XIII, nutrient reference values).accessed .
- RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods.accessed .
- InstitutionNIH Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.accessed .
- Other sourceAsia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Noonan SC, Savage GP. Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 1999;8(1):64-74. doi:10.1046/j.1440-6047.1999.00038.x.accessed .
- InstitutionNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH).Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Kidney Stones.accessed .