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LAMB’S QUARTERS (Chenopodium album)
aka wild spinach, pigweed, goosefoot, white goosefoot, melde, manure weed, bathua (Hindi) and fat hen
Names vary by local and some names are used for varying plants❤️

Scroll to the bottom for 🐰RABBIT USES 🐰

GENERAL
I have found this particular weed to have been cultivated basically worldwide so narrowing down where it grows just naturally is almost a moot point. Cultivation has made the spread so extensive that you’d be hard pressed not to find it growing near you.
It wasn’t until I started breeding my rabbits that I took notice of it but now I seek it out. It’s benefits are many as well as it tastes quite good. Any who try it will like it or find it useful imho.

Lambsquarter is the second highest in nutrition of all wild foods!! That in of itself should give it an invite to your dinners.

DESCRIPTION/HOW TO ID
Annual plant that looks dusty from a distance due to a white waxy coating on the leaves, and when moist, water simply beads and runs off.
Leaves: Because of the shape of the leaves, lambsquarters is nicknamed “goose foot”. The goose foot (or pyramid to diamond-shaped) leaves are irregularly toothed and emerge alternately on the stem. (This means rather than each leaf presenting with another leaf growing directly across from it on the stem, these leaves appear to take turns marching up the stem. A leaf on side, then a bit further up the plant a leaf on the other).
Leaf texture: The leaf texture is a key characteristic for proper id. The leaves are covered in a white or pinkish-purple bloom that gives them a soft, slightly velvety appearance.
This bloom is most pronounced at the terminal (top) end of the plant and on the young emerging leaves. As the leaf grows the bloom diminishes.
Looking at the underside of the leaf you will find the bloom is thicker than on the top, giving it an ashy or pale appearance.
Stem: Stem is ridged and pinkish-purple at the base.
Growth: Lambsquarter seeds are spread by wind. While each seed grows into a single stem, It is not uncommon to see large swaths of lambsquarters completely covering the ground (as in the lighter green photo above).
Look-alikes: When leaves are wet, jewelweed and lambsquarters both repel water in a similar gem-like fashion. But their leaf texture and shape is quite distinct.(https://lusaorganics.typepad.com/…/wonderfully-wild-lambsqu…)

OVERVIEW
* antiphlogistic (Anti-inflammatory)
* detoxifier
* antioxidant
* aids digestion
* antimicrobial
* anthelmintic (anti-parasitic)
* antirheumatic (slows down RA)
* contraceptive (explained further below)
* laxative (tea of the root is best)
* odontalgic (tooth ache remedy)
* Antipruritic (relieves itching)
* Antinociceptive (reducing sensitivity to painful stimuli)
* Astringent

1. High in Chlorophyll content!! Health buffs will understand how important this is. Chlorophyll taken into our bodies can do amazing things such as fight and prevent cancer, creates red blood cells, helps slow down aging, helps you sleep plus so many more benefits. The greens are valuable for purifying the body of unwanted toxins due to their exceptionally high chlorophyll content. The chlorophyll binds with or chelates toxins that may be stored in fat cells and removes them in the urine. If you have a moment, research the benefits of consuming chlorophyll. I think you would find it informative as well as useful!
2. Lambs quarter is also a valuable resource for amino acids. While our bodies are able to produce fourteen of the “essential” amino acids, eight of them need to be found elsewhere and that’s where lambs quarter comes in handy!
3. The whitish dust present on each leaf is made up of mineral salts from the soil and is an indication of its mineral-rich value!
4. Lambsquarter is packed with essential vitamins and minerals. For example, 3.5 ounces of raw lambsquarter, which is about 1 cup of greens, contains 73 percent vitamin A and 96 percent vitamin C of your recommended daily allowances suggested by the USDA. It is also a fantastic source of the B vitamins complex including thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. (The Wild Wisdom of Weeds)
5. Nutritional content: low in Saturated Fat, and cholesterol free. It is also a good source of Niacin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. (Nutritiondata.self)

MEDICINAL Breakdown/FOLK

* Linked to a reduction in the risk of Cardiovascular disease per a thorough study.
* Sperm Immobilizing activity:- Chenopodium album possesses appreciable spermicidal potential which may be explored as an effector constitute of vaginal contraceptive.
* Inhibition of mineralization of urinary stone:- The inhibition efficacy was studied increased intake of fruits juice and seed extract of Chenopodium album would be helpful in urinary stone prophylaxis.
* Poultices or washes made from lambs quarter leaves are beneficial in the treatment of:
– rheumatism (swollen joints and feet)
– bug bites
– sunstroke
– skin problems
– burns etc.
* Used To treat various symptoms attributable to nutritional deficiencies.
* It’s also said to have sedative and refrigerant properties.
* A decoction is used for carious teeth
* An infusion is taken in the treatment of rheumatism.
* The seeds are chewed in the treatment of urinary problems and are considered useful for relieving the discharge of semen through the urine.
* The juice of the stems is applied to freckles and sunburn to help heal and lighten.
* The juice of the root is used in the treatment of bloody dysentery.
* Food that comprises 25.5% of the powdered herb may suppress the oestrus cycle.
* The leaves support the decrease of pain by reducing inflammation and bringing about an increase of circulation
* Anti diarrheal (high fiber)
* Appetite stimulant
* Tightens and tones skin when used as a soak
* Fights anemia (high iron)
* It is also a useful mouthwash for tightening the gums and eliminating bad breath

RECIPES/Useful Ideas

*Use the young shoots as a source of green dye.

**Lambs quarter Spread**
2 cloves garlic
1 small red onion
3 cups Lambsquarter leaves
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup toasted nuts (I use walnuts or almonds)
1/3 cup kalamata olives
2 T miso
1 T chili paste or 1 t cayenne pepper or to taste
1. chop the garlic in a food processor
2. add the onion chop
3. add the remaining ingredients and process or chop until finely chopped
Makes 2 1/2 cups
Serve with pita chips or as a spread on a healthy sandwich

**Spice and/or Salt Replacement **
Add a new spice into your cabinet. Easy enough to do. I advise picking/pinching the tops in the morning (when you’ll also get the densest nutrition from it) and put it in a dehydrator at 125 for 5-6 hours. Then tada it’s ready to use and keep. Try adding it to your stews. You’ll love it.

**Soap**
1 cup fresh roots chopped up
2 cups of Flaxseed water (see below)
A couple drops of your favorite essential oils

Flaxseed water comes from soaking one cup of flaxseed with 4 cups of water and letting it sit for 8 hours. (Flaxseed is better digested when soaked first) The end result is ready to use flaxseed lol and a slimy water usually thrown away.
Blend the water and roots together then strain out the pulp. You can add your essential oils after you strain it. At this time you’ll be left with a slimy, sudsy liquid soap that can be used to clean the body or the house!

*Harvest Seeds in the Fall! Dried leaves and seeds make a delicious flour! Use as an alternative in any recipe or add into a regular bread recipe to change up the flavor. Makes for really enjoyable tortillas ☺️
The seeds make a highly nutritious food staple for multiple uses in recipes.

*Similar to quinoa, lambsquarter seeds can be easily sprouted in one to two days. Add the sprouts to any meal to benefit from the rich nutrients. Lambs quarter seeds also make great microgreens. They start out small and frail looking but given time grow into healthy plants with delicious flavor.
Another way to increase the seeds’ resources is not to cook them, but instead to sprout them. Sprouting the seeds is a natural way to let the outer layer fall off on its own. Using lambsquarter sprouts is a way to increase seed benefits and sustain your winter storage to last even longer! If wild plants are potent already and go a long way, sprouted wild grains are even more concentrated! (The Wild Wisdom of Weeds)

CAUTIONS ⚠️⚠️⚠️
-Lambs quarter can absorb nitrate from contaminated soil so be careful where you harvest this plant. I do suggest you also taste it where you are harvesting as it can alter the flavor a bit making a mild weed taste bitter. Any bitterness normally is due to being an issue of older leaves but if the whole plant is bitter than it’s best to find another patch.
-Lambs quarter does have a poisonous look-a-like called Nettleleaf goosefoot but the foul odor of Nettleleaf goosefoot is a dead giveaway to its identity.
-Lambs quarter is related to spinach. It also has a heavy content of oxalic acid so avoid too much raw consumption of older leaves as the content is higher in them. Cooking will take out some of the oxalic acid. You can use lemon juice to neutralize oxalic acid taste n salads and smoothies and this will help prevent kidney stones. Kidney stones can be a result of too much consumption of oxalic acids in a regular basis. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food, but these plants are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plant will reduce its content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatic arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition. (Chelseagreen.com)

RABBIT USES🐇🐰🐇

Lambsquarter weed is one I recommend often. It’s so high in nutritional value as well as fiber that it’s great for the GI system. It helps get the gut going. However keep in mind that like spinach it is high in oxalic acid so feed sparingly.
I’ve found that most rabbits gobble them up especially the younger shoots that you pinch off the tips but reading on some sites indicate that older rabbits may not like them. Again I haven’t found that to be true but wanted to just put what I’ve read out there.
One of the few recommended greens for the very young. A starter green ☺️
Lambs quarter is also natural dewormer and antiparasetic. I consider it more a preventative since I feed it often.

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