Most of us are so used to getting rid of weeds that we don't even stop to think about how they might be useful. In fact, there are many species that you'll find in just about any garden that are edible. They can be thrown in your favorite stew or just consumed raw, straight from the ground (though you may want to wash them of dirt and bugs first). Here are some of the varieties that are both safe for eating and may actually provide nutritional benefits too:
- Bamboo shoots: You can't just eat mature stocks of bamboo, but you can eat the shoots before they harden into wood. They need to be cooked before you eat them, but they're a common ingredient in Asian stir fry dishes, and they provide a few benefits to your health such as fiber and potassium.
- Dandelion: You can actually purchase dandelion greens in some grocery stores, and they're an incredibly useful ingredient for many dishes. According to OrganicGardening.com, they're also a good source of beta-carotene, even more so than carrots!
- Lambs' quarters: They're a lot like spinach, which means that you can cook them in similar ways, such as wilting. Make sure you wash them thoroughly and give them enough time to cook so that the tough fibers break down.
The great thing about cooking these plants is that it's a much more eco-friendly way of removing them from your yard than using weed killers. They also grow on their own most of the time, so you don't need to have much of a green thumb to take advantage of their presence and add them to your diet!