can guinea pigs eat swiss ch

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Swiss Chard?

Swiss Chard is a little known vegetable which is leafy green. It has large, tough leaves which taste like a sweeter version of spinach leaves.

It is also known as chard, leaf beet, and seakable beat.

It s often eaten raw in salads and its stalks are often cooked separately as the are quite fleshy and need time to soften up.

can guinea pigs eat swiss ch

So can guinea pigs eat swiss chard?

Part of showing good guinea pig care is to see whether it really is a good fit for them to eat. Lets take a closer look at it here.

Swiss Chard, cooked, no salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 84 kJ (20 kcal)
Carbohydrates 4.13 g
– Sugars 1.1 g
– Dietary fiber 2.1 g
Fat 0.08 g
Protein 1.88 g
Water 92.65 g
Vitamin A equiv. 306 μg (38%)
Vitamin A 6124 IU
– beta-carotene 3652 μg (34%)
– lutein and zeaxanthin 11015 μg
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.034 mg (3%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.086 mg (7%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.36 mg (2%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.163 mg (3%)
Vitamin B6 0.085 mg (7%)
Folate (vit. B9) 9 μg (2%)
Choline 28.7 mg (6%)
Vitamin C 18 mg (22%)
Vitamin E 1.89 mg (13%)
Vitamin K 327.3 μg (312%)
Calcium 58 mg (6%)
Iron 2.26 mg (17%)
Magnesium 86 mg (24%)
Manganese 0.334 mg (16%)
Phosphorus 33 mg (5%)
Potassium 549 mg (12%)
Sodium 179 mg (12%)
Zinc 0.33 mg (3%)

Link to USDA Database entry
Percentages are roughly approximated
using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

As you can see, chard is packed full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin c which guinea pigs need a good amount of.

In fact did you know…

Swiss chard is not only one of the most popular vegetables along the Mediterranean but it is one of the most nutritious vegetables around and ranks second only to spinach following our analysis of the total nutrient-richness of the World’s Healthiest vegetables (source: WH foods )

However it does have a lot of water content so it isn’t a veggie I would feed every day. But every other day would be fine.

What about other chards and their parts?

Can guinea pigs eat….

Rainbow chard?

Rainbow chard is a different variety of chard that produces stems in a stunning spectrum of lemon yellow, acid orange, rose pink and deep red. Rainbow chard is excellent for guinea pigs and just like swiss chard needs to be fed in moderation 3-4 times a week at a maximum.

Swiss chard stems?

Swiss chard stems are great for guinea pigs to eat. It can be fed at the same time as the swiss chard leaves.

Ruby chard?

Ruby chard has beautiful scarlet stems and red-veined leaves, but it is still good for guinea pigs to eat. Again feed it to them in moderation over the week.

Verdict

Swiss chard and its sub varieties are great for guinea pigs to eat. Do feed it to them, but not every day. It can be fed to them every other day at the most, but they will enjoy it.

 

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