Uses
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 188 kJ (45 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 9.2 g |
| - Sugars | 0.71 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 3.5 g |
| Fat | 0.7 g |
| Protein | 2.7 g |
| Water | 85.6 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 508 μg (64%) |
| - beta-carotene | 5854 μg (54%) |
| - lutein and zeaxanthin | 13610 μg |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.19 mg (17%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.26 mg (22%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 0.806 mg (5%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.084 mg (2%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.251 mg (19%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 27 μg (7%) |
| Choline | 35.3 mg (7%) |
| Vitamin C | 35 mg (42%) |
| Vitamin E | 3.44 mg (23%) |
| Vitamin K | 778.4 μg (741%) |
| Calcium | 187 mg (19%) |
| Iron | 3.1 mg (24%) |
| Magnesium | 36 mg (10%) |
| Manganese | 0.342 mg (16%) |
| Phosphorus | 66 mg (9%) |
| Potassium | 397 mg (8%) |
| Sodium | 76 mg (5%) |
| Zinc | 0.41 mg (4%) |
| Link to USDA Database entry Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. |
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While the dandelion is considered a weed by many gardeners and lawn owners, the plant has several culinary and medicinal uses. The specific name officinalis refers to its value as a medicinal herb, and is derived from the word opificina, later officina, meaning a workshop or pharmacy. The flowers are used to make dandelion wine, the greens are used in salads, the roots have been used to make a coffee substitute (when baked and ground into powder) and the plant was used by Native Americans as a food and medicine.
Read more about this topic: Taraxacum Officinale