Unhealthy eating is becoming a more critical problem than ever. Having meals with ingredients from the great outdoors is a free and fun solution. In this article, I will discuss the health benefits of consuming many easy-to-find plants including dandelions, sorrel, and tree bacon.
Dandelions are surprisingly dense in nutritional content. To the chagrin of desperate go-green advertisements about kale and spinach, dandelions give them a run for their money. These pleasant yellow flowers, which are a memoir of our childhoods, have very edible and robust leaves. If some coffee drinkers are tired of the taste (which is undoubtedly rare), roasted dandelion roots provide a drink similar to coffee. To combat the intrinsic bitterness dandelion leaves have, soaking them in salted cold water for 10 to 15 minutes and then lightly cooking them in some healthy olive oil will turn them from a bitter episode to an appealing, exotic treat. The leaves reduce inflammation and ageing, manage blood pressure, and control blood sugar when consumed.
In the same area that you may be foraging for dandelions, you may also find sorrel. Sorrel is a small green plant from the same family as rhubarb and buckwheat. Sorrel is almost always in season but is the least bitter in the spring. Small sorrel leaves are recommended to be eaten raw and not cooked as they aren’t as strong as the larger leaves. The small leaves can be used as garnishes for other dishes. The well-rounded taste of sorrel is a nice contrast to greasy and heavy dishes like steak or roast meat. Sorrel mainly focuses on the immune system by helping lower blood pressure and increasing blood circulation.
In contrast to these soft, gentle foods that are not grilled, fried or salted, tree bacon comes to the rescue. Tree bacon is also known as Viking tree bacon for its outwardly barbaric and intrusive nature especially when the thought of consumption comes to mind. Whatever it is called, it refers to the layer between the bark and the inner wood of a tree. The area, called the cambium, is similar to the goldilocks zone of a tree in terms of edibleness. They can be eaten raw or fried exactly as one would fry bacon. Obviously, tree bacon is rich in fibre and digestible starches considering it is from a tree. Furthermore, it contains some sugar, vitamins, and minerals.
Subjecting yourself to pure, organic foods in the wild is a nice healthy shock to your body; contrasting against any processed foods you may have been consuming. Differing from domesticated and cultivated foods that we usually eat, wild foods contain more prominent flavour and nutrition than say conventional tomatoes and potatoes. In conclusion, a trip outside to find some additions to your dinner is an excellent choice to both be more healthy and try something new.
Author: Jason Jiang
Biography: Jason Jiang is a Grade 11 student at St. Michaels University School in Victoria, BC. Some of his interests include using CAD software, playing with an Arduino, and coding Python. Jason hopes to one day become a mechatronics engineer designing mechanical and electronic contraptions that help streamline everyday life. He may even consider working with propulsion systems. He will likely live on Mars and will have a family of two children.
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