Microgreens and micro herbs are the seedling versions of leafy greens, vegetables, and herbs. They are a few days older than “sprouts”.
Super Nutritious
As shown in a 2012 USDA study and in several studies since, microgreens and micro herbs are extremely nutritious, in some cases up to 40x more nutritiously dense than their mature versions.
Fresh As You Can Get
Microgreens and micro herbs are very delicate and can even start going bad on supermarket shelves. Growing microgreens in your home mean you get the freshest microgreens and micro herbs when you harvest.
More Variety
Trust Your Food
HAMAMA’s microgreen kits don’t use any soil, pesticides, or fertilizers so you can trust that your microgreens and micro herbs are clean and safe to eat. Also, growing microgreens indoors means you don’t have to worry about pests eating your greens before you do.
Sprout a new healthy habit this 2020.
We make growing superfood greens fail-proof. Seriously, just add water once and harvest in a week. Grows indoors, year-round, even in low light!
Microgreens are the seedlings of vegetables and herbs. They are an emerging type of specialty vegetable that people can buy from shops or grow at home from the seeds of vegetables, herbs, or grains. They include some wild species.
Scientists see microgreens as a functional food, which means that they can provide key nutrients in a practical way. Some people call them a superfood.
People have long grown mustard and cress on their kitchen window ledges and in classrooms. They are fun to grow, tasty to eat, and healthful. However, other types of sprout and microgreen have recently become popular as health foods.
Microgreens can play a role in both sweet and savory dishes.
In addition to their nutritional value, they can add flavor, texture, and color to salads and sandwiches. People can also add them to smoothies or use them as a garnish.
They are suitable for eating raw, which means that they retain their vitamin and mineral content.
In this article, we look at the benefits of microgreens, how to add them to the diet, how to grow them, and any potential health risks.
Like sprouts, microgreens are a young vegetable. However, sprouts and microgreens are not the same.
Sprouts are newly germinated seeds that people harvest just as the seed begins to grow and before their leaves develop. Conversely, microgreens grow from sprouts, and they have leaves.
When the cotyledon leaves — the embryonic leaves — have fully developed, and the first true leaves have emerged, the plant becomes a microgreen.
People usually grow sprouts in water and harvest them within 2–3 days.
Microgreens can grow either in soil or hydroponically, but they need sunlight. People harvest them after 1–3 weeks, depending on the type.
People can grow microgreens from any herb or vegetable. The flavor will depend on the plant.
Popular microgreens include:
- amaranth
- basil
- kale
- broccoli
- mustard
- tatsoi
- orach
- borage
- beet
- parsley
- pea
- red pak choi
- kohlrabi
- Swiss chard
- rocket
Microgreens might offer several benefits as an addition to the diet.
Rich in nutrients
Many fresh plant products provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
These nutrients can help with:
- preventing a range of diseases
- managing weight
- boosting both mental and physical health and well-being
Microgreens can offer all of these benefits and possibly more.
Kale is available as a microgreen as well as a regular vegetable.
Antioxidant content
Many plant-based foods are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Vitamins and minerals play hundreds of roles in essential bodily processes.
Antioxidants help the body eliminate unstable waste molecules known as free radicals.
Free radicals result from both natural bodily processes and environmental pressures, such as pollution. As they build up, they can lead to cell damage. Eventually, this damage may contribute to the development of diseases, such as cancer.
The body can remove some free radicals, but they can still accumulate. Antioxidants from foods can help remove more of them. Plant-based foods can provide antioxidants.
There is evidence to suggest that microgreens have a high antioxidant content, which means that they may help prevent a range of diseases. The exact types of antioxidants will depend on the plant.
Microgreens from the Brassica family, which include broccoli, contain high levels of vitamin E, a phenolic antioxidant. Asteraceae microgreens, such as chicory and lettuce, appear to be high in vitamin A, or carotenoid antioxidants.
Details about using microgreens to treat or prevent specific diseases are not yet available, but scientists are looking into their possible benefits.
Broccoli and its cousins — cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts — are healthful vegetable choices.
Specific groups
Some researchers have suggested that microgreens may be suitable for tailoring to provide additional nutrients to specific groups of people.
For example, one group of scientists produced chicory and lettuce microgreens with high levels of the nutrients that green, leafy vegetables usually contain but a lower potassium content. This nutrient profile, they said, could be useful for people with kidney disease.
Tailored microgreens could also be beneficial for people who follow a vegan, vegetarian, or raw food diet and for those who cannot access or consume fresh vegetables due to issues of availability, cost, or health.
Sustainability
There is a growing interest in sustainability, and microgreens could be a good way to provide city-dwelling families with locally produced seasonal vegetables at a low cost.
Microgreens are easy to grow at home in a confined space. A small outlay can provide a significant return in terms of bulk, variety, and nutrients.
As they take just a few weeks to grow, it is possible to have an ongoing source of microgreens. By rotating three crops, for example, people could have fresh microgreens every week. Hydroponically grown microgreens do not even need soil.
Experts have suggested that microgreens could even provide fresh and healthful food for astronauts.
The nutritional value of microgreens varies according to type, as with conventional vegetables.
However, there is also evidence that some may contain a higher concentration of many nutrients than their mature, fully grown counterparts.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 grams (g) of kale microgreens provide only 29 calories.
Other research has indicated that Brassica microgreens, which include kale, may be an especially good source of antioxidant vitamins and the minerals potassium and calcium.
A 100 g serving of sunflower and basil microgreen mix will provide:
- 28 calories
- 2.2 g of protein
- 4.4 g of carbohydrate
- 2.2 g of fiber
- 88 milligrams (mg) of calcium
- 15.9 mg of iron
- 66 mg of magnesium
- 66 mg of phosphorus
- 298 mg of potassium
- 11 mg of sodium
- 0.7 mg of zinc
- 6.6 mg of vitamin C
- 79.6 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A
- 66 mcg of folate
The greens also contain selenium, manganese, and a range of B vitamins.
The same size serving of sunflower and beet micrograms contains similar amounts of each nutrient but provides more iron, at 23.9 mg.
A 2012 study looked at the nutrient content of 25 different microgreens. The researchers found the highest concentrations of four different vitamins and carotenoids in the following items:
- red cabbage
- green daikon radish
- cilantro
- garnet amaranth
The key benefits of each microgreen varied. Red cabbage microgreens, for example, were rich in vitamin C but low in vitamin E. Green daikon radish microgreens were rich in vitamin E but relatively low in lutein in comparison with cabbage, cilantro, and amaranth.
Eating a variety of vegetables and microgreens will supply more of these helpful nutrients.
Good Witches Homestead 
Reblogged this on Little Journeys Everywhere and commented:
This is so great! A good way to use our little sprout babies maybe? 🙂
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