Edible Weeds for a Green Smoothie Recipe

Tips on harvesting edible wild plants

Try using edible weeds to save money in your grocery budget. Have you found that the prices of fresh produce are rising at incredible speeds... especially after 2020?

You may have discovered great benefits from drinking daily green smoothies. But you may have noticed that greens can be the most expensive ingredient in a green smoothie. Here are some ways to save money while using edible wild plants right in your backyard!

Edible Weeds for Smoothies

An inexpensive way to blend up a nutrient dense green smoothie is to harvest edible plants. Most gardeners see these edible greens as troublesome weeds to pull and discard in the compost pile. But if used correctly, they can offer you a powerhouse of nutrients in a green smoothie.

Things to Consider Before Blending Edible Wild Plants

Make sure that they are not sprayed with any weed or pest killers. Make sure it is not in a public area being treated. Generally wooded public and state land are safe. Or use what is in your property.

Also, choose to harvest greens away from busy roads. The exhaust fumes from vehicles do not add any benefits to those greens. And for those who live in colder climates, the chemicals to melt ice do have to run off the road.

If no place is available to harvest weeds with little to no chemicals, try asking friends and family. Most people would not mind having their weeds removed from their yards and gardens.

Types of Wild Greens

These are just to name a few wild greens that can be used in green smoothies.

Cattail stalk (peeled)
Chicory (leaves and flowers)
Chickweed
Clover
Dandelion (leaves and flowers)
Ostrich Fiddlehead ferns (Use after boiling for 10 minutes)
Lambsquarters
Malva
Miner's lettuce
Plantain
Purslane
Sorrel
Wild Strawberry leaves

How to Use Edible Wild Greens

Many wild greens have a strong bitter flavor that many people do not like. To avoid this, it is best to harvest the greens while they are young and tender. Harvest the greens before the plant flowers. Another way to still have a high nutrient dense green smoothie and yet still enjoy the flavor; try using half wild greens and half spinach.

When done harvesting, make sure to wash the greens thoroughly. It is best to use wild greens immediately after harvesting. If the greens begin wilting, they can be placed in a jar of cool water.

Supplies needed are:

- A pair of scissors
- A container to collect your precious greens
- A book of wild edible greens (pictures and descriptions are useful)

Smoothie Recipes with Wild Edible Greens

Cloverleaf Blueberry Pineapple Green Smoothie

A large handful of cloverleaves
3-5oz fresh spinach
1 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup fresh pineapple
1 banana or mango
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon stevia powder or sugar-free sweetener of choice

Add all of the above ingredients in the blender. Blend until everything is completely smooth.

Tropical Dandelion Smoothie

A handful of dandelion leaves
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango cubes
3/4 cup fresh pineapple
1 kiwi, peeled
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon stevia powder or sugar-free sweetener of choice

Blend all of the above ingredients until completely smooth.

Raspberry Plantain Smoothie

A large handful of young plantain leaves
1 cup fresh strawberries
3/4 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon stevia powder or sugar-free sweetener of choice

Blend all of the above ingredients until completely smooth.

Go from Edible Weeds to Smoothie Recipes
Go from Edible Weeds to Green Smoothie

Stock photos by Vecteezy