Spinach Dandelion Green Smoothie

Dandelions are packed with vitamins and minerals. Adding them to your green smoothies is a great way to consume these vitamin- and antioxidant-rich plants! One of our favorite ways to eat dandelions is in a spinach dandelion green smoothie.

Can you eat dandelions?

While many people consider dandelions a weed, they’re not only edible, but also packed with vitamins and nutrients. There are lots of ways to eat dandelions, including dandelion smoothies, raw dandelions on a salad, sautéed dandelions, and dandelion coffee or dandelion tea.

Though dandelions themselves are safe to eat, be sure to avoid eating any dandelions that may have been sprayed with pesticides.

Why should you eat dandelions?

There are 3 main reasons why we choose to eat dandelions:

Dandelions are healthy

First of all, dandelions are incredibly nutritionally dense. Some even say that they’re packed with more vitamins and nutrients than spinach and kale. They’re full of vitamins A, C, and K. They can also regulate blood sugar, provide tons of antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol. Why wouldn’t we take advantage of these powerfully nutritious plants??

Dandelions are plentiful and available

Next, working to create a more productive household means stewarding the resources we have — and we have lots of dandelions! We could probably spend days (weeks?? months?) foraging in our yard and learning to use all of the resources that are available to us right outside our back door. And you can, too! Dandelions are an easy place to start!

We enjoy eating them!

Most days, you’ll find us whipping up a green smoothie at least once. Spinach, frozen banana, honey, flax seed, and chia seed are usually the go-to ingredients, but it’s always fun to mix it up! We love our green smoothies, and dandelions are a fun, nutrient-packed addition!

What part of dandelions are best to eat?

Nearly every part of the dandelion is edible. The entire plant — root, stem, leaves, and flowers — are safe for eating. However, the stem contains a bitter substance, making it the least attractive for consuming.

Are dandelion greens good in smoothies?

We think so! Dandelion greens are an excellent cleanser and detoxing agent. In addition, eating them raw (such as in smoothies or on salads) preserves all the nutrients (as with most foods).

If you’re not used to green smoothies, you may find dandelion greens to have a bit of a bitter taste. However, adding frozen banana and a bit of honey to the smoothie definitely helps with this.

I’ve also used dandelion flowers in smoothies, so use whichever part you like! The flowers add fun yellow accents to your finished smoothie.

How to make a spinach dandelion green smoothie

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup dandelion greens

1 cup fresh spinach

1 cup water

1 Tablespoon honey

1 frozen banana

Combine all ingredients in a blender and enjoy!