While some people refer to microgreens as a superfood, scientists prefer the term “functional food.” That’s because these seedlings of herbs and vegetables provide key nutrients in a practical manner.
Are sprouts the same as microgreens?
No. While sprouts are newly germinated seeds that are harvested before their leaves develop, microgreens are harvested from the sprouts after they have fully developed embryonic leaves.
Typically, sprouts grow in water and are harvested in a couple days. Microgreens can grow in water or soil but aren’t usually harvested for 1 to 3 weeks.
Although you can grow microgreens from any vegetable or herb, some of the most popular are:
- kale
- basil
- beet
- broccoli
- mustard
- parsley
- pea
- Swiss chard
- kohlrabi
The health benefits
Microgreens provide a wide range of health benefits thanks to their vitamins, minerals and fiber. Their high antioxidant content makes them invaluable for eliminating free radicals from the body to prevent cell damage. A build-up of free radicals—such as those caused by pollution—can cause diseases, such as cancer. Although our bodies can remove some free radicals, antioxidants remove even more.
In terms of the type of antioxidants you’ll get from microgreens, it will depend on the plant. For example:
- The Brassica family—including broccoli—contains plenty of vitamin E.
- Asteraceae microgreens—including lettuce and chicory—have lots of vitamin A.
It’s interesting to note that scientists were able to produce customized microgreens. Their lettuce and chicory microgreens had all the nutrients of green, leafy vegetables but with less potassium, making them suitable for people with kidney disease.
Growing at home
If you’re thinking about adding microgreens to your diet, you can grow them at home in even the most confined spaces. As long as you have sunlight, you don’t even need soil; you can grow them hydroponically.
Because they only take a few weeks to grow, you can rotate crops and have fresh options every week.
