For instance, nearly every part of the dandelion is edible, the leaves, the roots, and the blooms. As far as nutritional value, the USDA Bulletin #8, "Composition of Foods," (Haytowitz and Matthews 1984) ranked dandelions in the top 4 green vegetables. Furthermore, according to author Peter Gail, “dandelions are nature's richest green vegetable source of beta-carotene, from which Vitamin A is created, and the third richest source of Vitamin A of all foods, after cod-liver oil and beef liver.” Dandelions are also are particularly rich in potassium, iron, calcium, fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and the B vitamins, riboflavin and thiamine, and an excellent source of protein. The common dandelion, or Taraxacum officinale, contains medicinal benefits as well, its Latin name nearly translating to “official remedy for disorders.” Peter Gail states that, when eaten as a part of your diet or taken as a beverage, dandelions can prevent or cure liver diseases; act as a tonic and gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, dissolve kidney stones, and otherwise improve gastro-intestinal health; assist in weight reduction; cleanse your skin and eliminate acne; improve your bowel function; prevent or lower high blood pressure; prevent or cure anemia; lower your serum cholesterol by as much as half; eliminate or drastically reduce acid indigestion and gas buildup by cutting the heaviness of fatty foods; aid in the prevention various forms of cancer; and aid in the prevention or control diabetes mellitus.
Now that you know why you should give dandelions a try, here are some ways that they can be used. Though it contains no caffeine, the roots can be thoroughly cleaned, chopped, and then roasted in the oven for use as a coffee substitute, simply pour boiling water over the roasted roots. A simple way to use the petals is to add it to honey. Begin by plucking the flower heads from the stems and then, holding the petal-end of the bloom in your hand, cut the base of the flower off to release the petals which are pinched between your fingers. Simply add as many petals as you would want to your honey, adding both some flavor, color, and nutritional value. This honey can then be used as one regularly would, possibly using it to sweeten the roasted dandelion coffee you may have already made or want to try. These petals can also be added to soups, stews, and other dishes. Finally, the leaves are the most well-known edible part of the plant. The leaves can be somewhat bitter, but this can be avoided by harvesting mainly the young leaves or boiling the older leaves in water and pouring it off to remove some of the bitterness. These leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and are most often added to salads. This is where adding wild foods to foods you are already eating comes into play. One can simply add some dandelions leaves to a salad with other greens, if they are hesitant to eat the leaves alone. One wild food expert, Sunny Savage, noted that even simply eating one leaf a day is almost like eating a multivitamin, as these plants are truly full of vitamins and other nutrients.
So don’t be afraid to give wild foods a try, this is, after all, the Natural State, and what is more natural than eating wild foods. Stay natural, Arkansas!
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