Strawberry Short-Cut: Leaves and Flowers are Edible, Too!
The best season for strawberries varies depending on variety and geographic location, but for many of us these luscious red berries are available year-round, making them a great addition to salads and green smoothies as part of a natural food diet. What many people don’t know is just how much of the plant you can eat. Turns out, the whole darn thing!
Skip the De-Stemming and Reap the Extra Vitamins
The next time you’re making a green smoothie or prepping your dinner salad, save yourself some time by keeping those strawberry stems in tact! It’s not only the beautiful red fruit that’s edible, but the stems, leaves and flowers can be eaten as well!
Toss whole berries, stems and all into your next smoothie, or add the young tender leaves into your salad, along with the flowers for that extra touch.
Strawberry plants are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals sulfur, calcium, potassium, and iron. Strawberries have been used to treat stomach upsets, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and intestinal disorders. They are also beneficial as a cosmetics for tightening the skin and closing pores.
Make This Strawberry Salsa with a Twist
The fall season may be approaching but there’s plenty of time left to enjoy the sweet taste of one of the most popular fruits on the block!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of strawberries, cut into chunks
- 2 avocados, peeled and chopped
- 1 cucumber, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup local honey
- 2 tsp lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 or 3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Directions: Lightly toss all ingredients in a large bowl and chill for about an hour. Serve with your favorite raw crackers or scoop this up as a side salad! Yum!
Let’s Get WILD!
It’s time to kick off your shoes and get back to basics! During our Back to the Wild Summit you’ll enjoy interviews with some of our favorite nature lovers as they share their stories and most basic principles and practices of healthy living. The kinda stuff we would know if we still lived in harmony with nature and our environment. Sign up here for this FREE summit!