Sep 22
4:15 PM

5 Crazy Things You Didn’t Know You Could Eat

If you have a brain, you know not to nosh on unidentified mushrooms you find growing in the wild (they could be poisonous -- or hallucinogenic!).

But did you know that it's perfectly safe to eat cacti, pansies, dandelions and even a certain human organ? Here are five crazy things you didn't know you could eat. Bonus: Most of them actually come with a slew of health benefits.

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1.    Cacti: Prickly pear, a cactus that grows in desert locations, can actually be made into jams and jellies, giving a whole new meaning to sticky jam! Plus, it boasts 20 mg of vitamin C, 5.4 grams of fiber and a slew of powerful antioxidants that may help spike your immunity. PB and prickly pear jelly sandwich, anyone?

2.    Pansies: Pansies are the ideal edible flower and unique decoration for salads. They are perfectly sized and come in wide variety of colors. Bonus: They’re pretty darn tasty, too!

3.    Dandelions: Dandelion leaves and root have long been revered as a highly nutritious salad in some cultures. In fact, many believe dandelion is one of nature’s great medicines. Some even do “spring cleaning” with dandelion salad, as it’s considered a blood cleanser due to its diuretic and digestive qualities.

4.    Bugs: Before you turn up your nose at the idea of eating bugs, remember that throughout history, people have relished insects as food. Today, many cultures still do. Plus, cooked insects are natural, organic, full of protein and don’t crawl around in your mouth like the ones on Survivor. Angelina Jolie’s sons chomp on crickets, 

chocolate-covered grasshoppers are common frat party hazing fare, water beetles are a cheap treat in Thailand and cicada ice cream was a hit in Missouri this summer.
5.    Placenta: Eating human body parts may be a little too Hannibal Lecter for most of us, but there are some people who consume the placenta after giving birth. Some cultures believe that eating the placenta prevents postpartum depression, enhances breastfeeding and helps clean and shrink the uterus after giving birth. Too squeamish to eat your own innards? You can have it dried and encapsulated as a nutritional supplement.
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