What are microgreens?
Microgreens are vegetables or herbs that are harvested just after they’ve sprouted and produced their first set of true leaves.
Microgreens are much healthier than normal veggies and they often come with an excellent variety of unique, intense and flavorful tastes. Earthy, nutty, sweet, peppery, mild, herb-like and more - take your adventurous pick.
These petite and delicate plants grow to 2- 3 inches tall and ready for harvest in 7 - 14 days. Whether grown commercially in big farms or in home-based vertical farms, microgreens are grown from high-quality seeds applying strict propagation systems.
At Greens In Basket, we only use carefully selected certified organic and non-GMO seeds, NSF rated equipment, natural growing pads, and filtered water to achieve high-quality plants.
4x to 40x
Microgreens pack an enormous nutritional punch
The microgreens were four- to 40-fold more concentrated with nutrients than their mature counterparts,” says researcher Qin Wang, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland in College Park. “When we first got the results we had to rush to double and triple check them.”
For example, red cabbage microgreens had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage. Cilantro microgreens had three times more beta-carotene than mature cilantro.
Researchers evaluated levels of four groups of vital nutrients, including vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and beta-carotene, in 25 different commercially grown microgreens.
The results are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Why should we
eat microgreens?
The possibilities of benefiting from the consumption of microgreens are almost endless. Numerous literature appears to converge on some common benefits, as follows :
1) Antioxidant content - There is evidence to suggest that microgreens contain high levels of Antioxidants that help the body eliminate unstable waste molecules known as free radicals.
2) An article in Healthline Magazine stated that since microgreens contain similar and often greater amounts of these nutrients than mature greens. As such, they may similarly reduce the risk of the following diseases:
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Heart disease: Microgreens are a rich source of polyphenols, a class of antioxidants linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Animal studies show that microgreens may lower triglyceride and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13).
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Alzheimer’s disease: Antioxidant-rich foods, including those containing high amounts of polyphenols,may be linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
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Diabetes: Antioxidants may help reduce the type of stress that can prevent sugar from properly entering cells. In lab studies, fenugreek microgreens appeared to enhance cellular sugar uptake by 25–44% (16Trusted Source, 17).
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Certain cancers: Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in polyphenols, may lower the risk of various types of cancer. Polyphenol-rich microgreens may be expected to have similar effects (18Trusted Source).Trusted Source
How to enjoy microgreens?
Microgreens have always been popular with chefs since the '80s. These vibrant and delicate plants are added to premium dishes to project visual appeal. As the Japanese food connoisseur would say, "A meal should look good first before you assume that it tastes good".
With a good segment of the population pivoting towards healthy and sustainable eating habits, microgreens have garnered increased significance. Microgreens have now become popular and ubiquitous in a variety of everyday dishes, including salads, sandwiches and wraps. They are used as garnishes on pizzas, soups, omelets, curries and other warm dishes.
Mothers have discovered that while it is always difficult to convince the kids to "eat your veggies" , it has become easier with microgreens in their kitchens. With their higher nutritional value served in a tiny quantities or as smoothies and juices, microgreens are a welcome help.