In today’s society, we pay a lot of attention to the environment and we eat less meat and more green and short-range foods.

Researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy (NIBIO) point out that weeds are a food we can eat more of.

The herb is said to have a slightly misunderstood meaning.

– The definition of a weed is that it is a plant that grows in the wrong place. The same species can be a weed in one place, but have ornamental or useful value in another context, explains Wiktoria Kaczmarek-Derda, biotechnology and plant health researcher at NIBIO.

The case was first discussed by Forsking.no.

Cheap alternative

Kaczmarek-Derda believes we live in a time where we should eat a more plant-based diet. Short growing weeds from your own garden can then be a good opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint.

It can also be a cheap alternative to processed foods.

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– There are many species of edible weeds and you just need to become a little familiar with them, she explains to Dagbladet.

It highlights several edible species. Among other things, nettle, cabbage, dandelion and plantain can be used in cooking.

Eat more

Chef Håkon Mella is optimistic about the increased presence of weeds in food. Its slogan is: “If you can’t get rid of them, eat them.”

– We ate more of what we had gathered earlier. Many vegetables we eat today are refined to suit consumers’ tastes and their craving for sweet and mild vegetables, Mella tells Forskning.no.

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The plants we otherwise dispose of and throw away contain different nutrients than many people get on a daily basis, according to Mella.

– In wild plants we find more amino acids, which are also good for us, he explains.

Mella believes there are also other benefits to using more weeds in cooking. He points out that the weed is free, that it is a local resource, and emphasizes that the “production” is fossil-free and sustainable.

– We also get a closer connection to nature by using weeds, he says.