Edible Plants
By Shannon McNally
Amaranth
Amaranth is an edible plant that can be found in Central Texas in places where there is a lot of sunshine and has soil with a lot of nutrients in it. It is a very tall plant with broad green leaves and has purple, red, or gold flowers. The plant is very valuable since it can be eaten in several different ways like being used in cereals or by itself as a grain or vegetable. Amaranth has been known to be grouped with grains even though it is more of an imposter since it has a similar nutrient profile to cereals. You can eat this plant either raw or boil it. Amaranth has many benefits including being very high in calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and is the only plant that is documented to contain Vitamin C. It has been proven to be very good for your heart since studies over the last 14 years have shown it to have potential as a cholesterol-lowering grain and it is naturally gluten-free.
Chenopod
The chenopod is another edible plant that belongs to the same family as spinach, chards, and beets. It grows in Central Texas in open areas where there is disturbed soil like roadsides and dry, sandy areas. It has an erect and spreading stem that can be 1 to 4 feet tall and has leaves that can be anywhere from 1 to 5 inches in length. Chenopods can be cooked or eaten raw, however cooking the chenopod will destroy the high amounts of vitamin C it contains. They also have an abundance of vitamin A, calcium, and potassium. The seeds of chenopods can be ground up into a meal for another source of protein. Some positives of chenopods is that they have anti-cancer benefits and can bind calcium which restricts it's absorption into the body.