I was watching Farmer's Almanac TV last night and they said that most Americans have an extremely healthful food growing in their yards but that they never think to eat it.
It's dandelions! You don't have to take my word for it, but if you look it up you will see that one cup of cooked dandelion greens has more calcium than a cup of cottage cheese but has only 34 calories.
It provides 12% of the fiber, 19% of the iron and 28% of the Vitamin C that the USDA suggests that we get in our diets each day. A one cup serving also contains 2.1 grams of protein, many minerals including potassium, magnesium and phosphorous as well as vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, B-6 and folate.
So now that you know that dandelions are so good for you, after looking at it as a weed and a nuisance after all these years -- would you be willing to start to grow it in your garden to eat?
If I had a garden I would! I did a fast search and there are a lot of recipes online that uses dandelions and they look really delicious.
The more I look on the Web
The more I look on the Web and read about all these so called "weeds" that are used as food in many other countries that we throw out here, I think that it is just terrible.
To think that so many of us spend time and money to rid our yards of this pest plant, when we should be gathering it up and learning to cook it.
I wonder how it got to be this way. How did the dandelion get to be a weed when it is used as a food in other places? To see that a plant that is so filled with good nutrition being thrown out is simply too sad. Many people could use that food!
I also read that lambs quater and purslane, or portulaca are also plants that are weeds here but are eaten haply in other countries.
My friend eats lamb's quarters from her food co op and she promised me that she will buy me some so I can try it. She also said that she will request that the co-op (which is an organic co-op) get dandelion so we can try it too.
After I eat some I'll report about its taste here.
OK, if I survive.
Just kidding! LOL!
I know Dandelion's are a
I know Dandelion's are a great nutritional resource for guinea pigs and rabbit. As my mother-in-law always says " A weed is a plant out of place "
One person's weed is
One person's weed is another's treasure! I have all sorts of weird stuff, many would consider weeds....like tickseed, lamb's quarters, millet, and others. I also have a ton of straw grass that I use for my bunnies...I go around every day in the growing season and pick away for a nice banquet for them!! I have a lot of wild catnip growing as well, and I let it grow, especially since I have three cats myself and also have friends with cats!
There are more weeds that
There are more weeds that are safe and good to eat, though the only other one that comes to mind right now is Lambs Quarter. I have a friend though who knows all kinds of stuff in your yard and field to eat. I have got to have him show me them, lol!