The Green Amaranth “Weed”

Do you have lots of Amaranth weeds or food in your garden?

Green Amaranth is a great example of what is considered a common weed in the garden of many urban spaces. But did you know thats this whole plant is edible and has some of the highest nutrient content plants you can eat?

Considered a superfood. Its leaves contain an impressive array of minerals, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, and zinc, alongside phytopigments, vitamins, and flavonoids.

Amaranth has an incredibly long history with the ancient peoples of Central and South America for its culinary and health benefits.

It is incredibly easy to cultivate and readily available in most subtropical places, which could serve as something great in sustainable agriculture and nutrition. Its resilience to adverse environmental conditions, coupled with its rich nutritional composition, makes this a potentially valuable asset in addressing food security and public health challenges.

By shifting our perspective, we can transform this overlooked plant into a valuable resource for both food and medicine, and quite literally not only change our relationship to “weeds” but evolve how we live and eat.

Sarker U, Oba S, Alsanie WF, Gaber A. (2022). Characterization of Phytochemicals, Nutrients, and Antiradical Potential in Slim Amaranth. Antioxidants (Basel). ://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35739986