What plants do you eat?

[Techydude]

If you do consume, be it in a little amount for LC what plants do you some consume(fungi,fruit,veg,etc)?

The easiest thing for me to digest without getting sensitive are romaine lettuce leaves(not the stems). I wanna broaden my choices.

[CitrusHigh]

While I'm out moving the cows around and working on the farm I'm always on the lookout for wild edibles. Some of my favorites are violas (violets), dandelion, lamb's quarters, wintercress, fungus of all varieties (though I often cook these), bedstraw (thank's jessica for reminding me about this one!), young tender leaves of basswood (tilia), the roots of common grass, wild leeks (ramps) and a host of others. See my post on biophotons for an explanation of why wild edibles are typically superior to cultivated veggies in regards to nutrition and energy (biophotons) composition.

For cultivated species, I like cauliflower, all peppers, radishes, lettuces (especially bibb, yum!), carrots in small quantities, any leafy greens actually, ginger root, chives, tomatoes (maybe a fruit?), okra, and others I'm not remembering right now. But most of those I eat instinctively and for health, I don't get excited about them like I do about meat and fruits (though I only eat fruits in very small quantities). Oh and I will eat sprigs of cilantro and parsley raw, or once in a great while make veggies juices with these as the base. Oh and celery!

[KD]

plants:

raw or juiced (using teeth mechanically at the moment) sorrel, miners lettuce, dandelion, other herbs liek parsley, sage, cilantro, kale flower, celery, mizuna and other posh greens at the farmers market, cultured veggies. I use acv with raw veggies

cooked: artichoke(yum), nettle tea, mushrooms, (trumpet, chartreuse, shitake, oyster), okra, cabbage. dislike any cooked sweet potatoes or yams..make me gag.

fruits: pretty much anything in small quantities but pineapple and berries seem to be winners. most cultivated fruits taste like crap to me and I have very little desire for fruit sugars generally which is a great feeling. Now and then I like a banana and avocado works ok for me so I eat those too when they don't cost $1 per hundred calorie. and peppers. cucumber does not work for me but going to try how tomato goes again this summer.

[sabertooth]

Coconut and lemon water

[Techydude]

While I'm out moving the cows around and working on the farm I'm always on the lookout for wild edibles. Some of my favorites are violas (violets), dandelion, lamb's quarters, wintercress, fungus of all varieties (though I often cook these), bedstraw (thank's jessica for reminding me about this one!), young tender leaves of basswood (tilia), the roots of common grass, wild leeks (ramps) and a host of others. See my post on biophotons for an explanation of why wild edibles are typically superior to cultivated veggies in regards to nutrition and energy (biophotons) composition.

For cultivated species, I like cauliflower, all peppers, radishes, lettuces (especially bibb, yum!), carrots in small quantities, any leafy greens actually, ginger root, chives, tomatoes (maybe a fruit?), okra, and others I'm not remembering right now. But most of those I eat instinctively and for health, I don't get excited about them like I do about meat and fruits (though I only eat fruits in very small quantities). Oh and I will eat sprigs of cilantro and parsley raw, or once in a great while make veggies juices with these as the base. Oh and celery!

  Cool! How'd you learn to tell what plants you can eat in the wild/outside, i'd like to learn too cause I always thought wild plants were much superior than this supermarket mutant bs.

[CitrusHigh]

Coconut and lemon water

MmmM I do love a good lemon or lime water, how much do you usually use saber? I usually squeeze at least a half lemon in, I really like the sour/sweet flavor, but I can enjoy a whole one even more, so refreshing on a hot summer day!

Cool! How'd you learn to tell what plants you can eat in the wild/outside, i'd like to learn too cause I always thought wild plants were much superior than this supermarket mutant bs.

I highly recommend "Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants" By Elias and Dykeman ... Probably the most efficient book out there for learning this stuff. It's thin and portable, which is important. Great big color pictures which is a must, sketches just don't cut it if you're going to try and eat what you're finding. It also breaks each plant down by it's uses, whether it can be eaten as a trailside snack, a potherb, ground for flour, tuber, etc. Most importantly it has a section on the most poisonous plants in the area, which are the ones we should learn first thing because there's only a handfull of deadly ones and once you've internalized them, you almost nullify risk of death from eating wilds. Then after that, you can focus on learning which ones you can eat! The book also has a range map and instructions for preparation. For the few dollars that it can be purchased on the web, it is really worth it's weight in gold. I also recommend for learning how to identify plant families, Thomas Elpel's Botany in Day. Not a field guide, but equally importantly it teaches you how plants are organized in to catgories so that you could go to a region you've never been before and make inferences about the plants based on leaf shape and organization.

For anyone living in a different region I'd recommend that they find a book with similar attributes to the field guide I listed above, most importantly learn the poisonous plants of the area and it should have big, clear, color pictures!

Also whenever you're out in the woods (or anywhere, these can often be found in city parks too!), collect a sprig or two, say thank you to the plant, and then bring it home for ID on the web. Usually with a few good keywords in google images you should be able to identify, or narrow it down. And just keep doing this regularly. It is very freeing to be able to walk through the woods and realize you're surrounded by food!

[Projectile Vomit]

I eat wild plants.  Pretty much whatever's in season.  I spend a lot of time outdoors, so am constantly exposed to poison ivy.  Eating a few young leaves each spring helps to desensitize me to the oil, so I don't constantly get rashes.

[CHK91]

Cumcumber, berries, lemons, kiwis in moderation.

I don't know anything about wild plant food, but I do wish to learn. Unfortunately, I live in a great wasteland known as Suburbia and I doubt anything worth eating exists close to me.

[goodsamaritan]

Any of the greens that are edible and I get to try.
If it tastes bad, I spit it out.

[Techydude]

MmmM I do love a good lemon or lime water, how much do you usually use saber? I usually squeeze at least a half lemon in, I really like the sour/sweet flavor, but I can enjoy a whole one even more, so refreshing on a hot summer day!

I highly recommend "Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants" By Elias and Dykeman ... Probably the most efficient book out there for learning this stuff. It's thin and portable, which is important. Great big color pictures which is a must, sketches just don't cut it if you're going to try and eat what you're finding. It also breaks each plant down by it's uses, whether it can be eaten as a trailside snack, a potherb, ground for flour, tuber, etc. Most importantly it has a section on the most poisonous plants in the area, which are the ones we should learn first thing because there's only a handfull of deadly ones and once you've internalized them, you almost nullify risk of death from eating wilds. Then after that, you can focus on learning which ones you can eat! The book also has a range map and instructions for preparation. For the few dollars that it can be purchased on the web, it is really worth it's weight in gold. I also recommend for learning how to identify plant families, Thomas Elpel's Botany in Day. Not a field guide, but equally importantly it teaches you how plants are organized in to catgories so that you could go to a region you've never been before and make inferences about the plants based on leaf shape and organization.

For anyone living in a different region I'd recommend that they find a book with similar attributes to the field guide I listed above, most importantly learn the poisonous plants of the area and it should have big, clear, color pictures!

Also whenever you're out in the woods (or anywhere, these can often be found in city parks too!), collect a sprig or two, say thank you to the plant, and then bring it home for ID on the web. Usually with a few good keywords in google images you should be able to identify, or narrow it down. And just keep doing this regularly. It is very freeing to be able to walk through the woods and realize you're surrounded by food!

Question: You meant eat one/some of the deadly plants listed in the book to get desensitized to wild plants?

Thanks for the info   I bookmarked those two books for the future! I always wanted to get more into the wild and get my food for free so this awesome!




And thanks for the insight everyone, I see everyone's diff choices cause everyone's body is diff and have diff tastes, and needs for their body. I've got a few new choices and foods to try now.

[CitrusHigh]

haha NOOOOO Techy! I'm sorry for the confusion, what I mean is to learn them beyond a shadow of a doubt, because once you have learned them well, even if you decide to consume some plant you're not quite sure of, you know you're not going to die from it because you know it's not one of the handfull of deadlies.

It would take someone probably with homeopathy training to build an immunity to the most deadly species if that's even possible. Take water hemlock for example. People have reportedly died simply from putting their mouths on the stems after making whistles out of them. Meaning they died with out even consuming the actual plant material. These were probably children, but the point is, it would be very risky to try and build immunity to such toxins, and you would probably have to continue such exposure throughout your life in order to remain immune, not worth it IMHO.

I also love raw sweet potato btw. Thanks iguana for introducing me to that possibility. I haven't yet decided how it affects my digestive system, but it certainly doesn't give me huge cramps or anything like that, and it's sooooo sweet. Also jerusalem artichokes/sunchoke are wonderful sliced thin and raw!

[sabertooth]

I am up to about four lemons a day now and about half the fluid I drink is lemon water; if the average 8 glasses of water each day. I drink reverse osmosis water so to offset for the lack of minerals, I will squeeze some lemon juice in it and use it to chase down a raw egg. Its like paleo approved Gatorade.

Here is my new concoction that sets a new standard of excellence in refreshing primal hydration.


Basically its half buffalo heart blood, half lemon water and I used it to chase down an egg and piece of high meat. It give an immediate energy boast and after downing it I felt like doing multiple sets of push ups , pull ups and dips.

[CitrusHigh]

Sounds frackin' awesome saber!

May I ask why you go RO water instead of spring, well, artesian, aquifer or some other source of ground water?

[klowcarb]

I do not consume any vegetables. I drink a lot of green, white and herbal teas, and I use spices and herbs.

[HIT_it_RAW]

I do not consume any vegetables. I drink a lot of green, white and herbal teas, and I use spices and herbs.

do you drink fresh herb tea or from dried herbs?

[klowcarb]

do you drink fresh herb tea or from dried herbs?

No, just brands of herbal, green and white teas. I get ground herbs/spices.

[Techydude]

At this point I happen to LOVE mangoes and lettuce for the first time ever makes me allergic. I dont even know what vegetables I can eat anymore

Anyone have any vegetables that don't give them any problems?

[HIT_it_RAW]

tomatoes and cucumber but they are fruits. green juices energise me no probs. in fact most veggies are ok with me.  a courgette tomato smoothy is also great!

[Techydude]

tomatoes and cucumber but they are fruits. green juices energise me no probs. in fact most veggies are ok with me.  a courgette tomato smoothy is also great!

Ah you mean green juices like juicing vegetables? I used to love carrot juice as a kid.

[HIT_it_RAW]

yes thats what i mean

[RawZi]

d lettuce for the first time ever makes me allergic. I dont even know what vegetables I can eat anymore

Anyone have any vegetables that don't give them any problems?

    If you get a reaction from lettuce, I don't know.  Maybe you don't need greens?

a courgette tomato smoothy is also great!

    That's zucchini, right?

its half buffalo heart blood, half lemon water and I used it to chase down an egg and piece of high meat. It give an immediate energy boast and after downing it I felt like doing multiple sets of push ups , pull ups and dips.

    I bet it's perfect for the summertime.  Is the buffalo blood what comes in a plastic bag with the heart?  I got a tongue recently that had lots of red liquid.  I ate some in front of a SAD dieter, and he was really grossed out, but I was hungry and needed to eat lol.  He was so afraid it might smell that he stood at least 15 feet away while I ate it and held his nose from beginning to end. lol.  How come they think their CAFO spiced up cooked food couldn't possibly have an offensive smell?  Maybe they're afraid if they smell ours and like it, they might start eating like us.