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Flowers are not only nice to look at, but are also useful. The word flower comes from the Middle English word flour, meaning the best of anything. Flowers can be the best of both worlds, being beautiful to the eyes as well as good for the body!

Some examples of edible flowers include sunflowers, roses, daisies, pansies, and dandelions. That is just a list of common flowers that most Americans have heard of, but there are many, many more. Sunflowers are most often used for their seeds' hence, the popular snack of sunflower seeds. Rose petals can be used to flavor water or tea, as can daisies and dandelions. Pansies can be used in fruit or green salads, desserts, and even soups! Roots of other flowers can also be used for drink or in salads. Flowers can even be used in food dishes, not so much to eat, but to simply decorate the meal.

Not only are flowers edible, but they are also nutritious. Some people use flowers for medicinal purposes, or in serums to treat or prevent colds. Each specific type of flower varies in its uses, but most have more than one purpose.

Using flowers in your diet could be not only fun, but also beneficial to your health. To begin, you will want to research particular types of flowers which you might like to try. Not many, but some flowers are poisonous and could be harmful, so this research is key. Some flowers may not actually be harmful to your body, but may taste bad, so you probably won't want to use them. Some examples of common edible flowers are as follows, along with some tips in using them:

' Squash flower: These can be fried in batter or cornmeal for an appetizer or side dish.

' Broccoli: This is a very common vegetable, often steamed and eaten with butter.

' Cauliflower: As the name says, this, too, is a flower, and like broccoli, is usually steamed or boiled.

' Basil: The leaves of basil are often dried and used as seasoning, but the flowers can also be eaten fresh on a salad or as a decorative addition.

There are many more edible flowers grown around you every day. Instead of just stopping to 'smell the roses,' now you can stop to eat them! However, before deciding to try just any flower to garnish a dish or sprinkle in your next salad, make sure you know what you're eating!