If you’re unfamiliar with this superfood, microgreens are pretty much exactly what their name implies. They are tiny versions of the leafy greens we buy at the grocery store, usually only a few inches long, and they look like bigger versions of plant sprouts.
Given just enough time to move past the sprout stage and flourish with some small, leafy bits, their harvest results in a tender, soft and rich green. In short, they are the young, immature versions of greens that we normal buy, harvested at or around the third or fourth week of growth. They can include the young versions of greens like spinach and kale, but what some don’t know is that they also contain the young sprouts of other produce, like radish, broccoli, and cauliflower before they become the vegetables we see in the grocery store.
Benefits of microgreens
There are many benefits to substituting your regular greens diet (or supplementing it) with microgreens, including taste, texture, accessibility of gardening, and nutrient levels. Here are some of the best benefits of trying microgreens. Many turn to microgreens for the taste. These small, immature versions of greens are extremely tender, and since they are so small, the flavor and richness of taste is very concentrated, as opposed to fully grown, harvestable greens, where the flavor is a little duller and diluted.
Microgreens are extremely easy to grow. You can actually save quite a bit of money by investing in some seeds and letting them germinate and grow at home. Not only do they harvest within just a few weeks, but they require very little maintenance besides having a solid pot with good drainage, a countertop space, and a fair amount of sunlight in your windowsill.
And a benefit of growing them yourself is that you know exactly how they were grown. You don’t have to worry about the possibility of pesticides or harmful chemicals being used on your crop, because you are the one caring for your microgreens. Additionally, you don’t need a garden or even an outdoor space to grow microgreens, and what’s even better is that you can continue growing these tasty greens into the cold season without worrying about pesky factors like frost damage.
There are so many reasons to get hooked on microgreens, but if the aforementioned reasons don’t already have you sold, you might consider just how healthy microgreens are for your body. Not only are they healthy; they are arguably more healthy than regular lettuces and greens you can buy packaged at the grocery store, because, like it was mentioned before, they are at their early stage of life, which means that they are rich and packed with nutrients like Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and lutein.
With all the benefits of this food – accessibility, cheap cost, and rich nutrient value, they pass my test for superfood value. If you’re looking to spice up your salad world, or even just try something that will give you a little more nutrition than iceberg lettuce, then I would definitely suggest trying out microgreens.
