Are you eating microgreens in your lunches or dinners?
If not, now is the time to learn about the great nutritional benefits of these little greens! Microgreens are the baby version of foods you may already know and love. They are usually shoots (or small shoot-like leaves) usually less than 14 days old. You can find grocery store staples like spinach, kale, chives, arugula, and broccoli as microgreens. However, you can mix things up with watercress, mustard greens, onion sprouts, radish, and alfalfa. Each of the microgreens will not taste exactly like the adult plant. They are usually milder, since they are not fully developed. However, items like mustard, onion, and radish will taste stronger and spicier.
How do these little leaves bring you great value?
They typically have FOUR to SIX times the nutrient concentration you normally get in the largest/mature sized plant. That means you get more nutrients in a smaller package, like beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, and even amino acids. That’s great news if you don’t want a traditional salad every day. Since you don’t need as much plant material to reap the benefits, it’s easier to include them in your diet with ideas like mixing them into a smoothie, using lettuce sprouts to top a burger instead of lettuce (or topping any sandwich, really), or substituting spinach leaves in a tortilla for spinach microsprouts.
Microgreens are tiny leaves with many health benefits.
The health benefits differ slightly between the different varieties of plants you can choose. For example, most bean sprouts are high in C, while alfalfa has more calcium, potassium, and magnesium. While no one would think of eating the sunflower plant, you can (and should) eat the sprouts, as they have amino acids, folate, and vitamin E, as well as trace amounts of copper. The benefits go on and on, so the best thing to do is choose your favorite flavored sprout (the sweetest, mildest sunflower, or the spirited radish, or perhaps the strongest crunch of bean sprout in a stir-fry) and search for all your specific nutrients on the internet.
Can you grow microgreens in your own home?
Yeah! But some are easier than others. For example, with contact lenses you have to have several periods of soaking, rinsing, and standing before you can get them to sprout. Of course, it’s worth it if you really enjoy sprouted beans, but if you’re looking to get to the greens faster, you need the chia seed. If you’re looking for the simplest and fastest sprout (it’s pretty foolproof), look to chia seed first. Chia seeds are so easy to sprout that they even made a ceramic “Pet” animal for the kids to grow. They grow quickly, thanks to the nutrient-packed seed, making the sprouts to add to your salad even faster. Chia sprouts have a somewhat ‘spicy’ taste. It’s not as potent as onion or radish sprouts, but it’s not as mild as alfalfa.
What is sprout safety?
With a few seeds, some potting soil (or seed potting mix), and a shallow dish, most people can grow microgreens in their own home. Chia seeds will certainly sprout if placed in moist soil in a shallow dish. It is important to take proper care of the microgreen of any plant, to avoid problems such as mold and maximize serving appeal, as well as nutrition. However, with a few quick tips, small plants like these are generally easy to manage.
Things to keep in mind include:
Trim tiny leaves or stems about a centimeter above the substrate in which they grew
Trim only with clean, food-grade scissors
Plastic scissors or ceramic scissors will prevent browning (important for serving presentation)
Expose vegetables or sprouts to bright sunlight for several hours before harvesting; this will maximize the chlorophyll content for better health.
Do not use/consume sprouts if you find mold on the base
In a wet or humid climate, it is best to let the seeds sprout on a sunny windowsill and keep them there until ready to avoid mold problems.
Mow most greens when they are 1-2 inches tall
Don’t grow them outdoors unless well protected by a mini-greenhouse or screens; You may love microgreens, but you may also love bugs, spores, and other pests you don’t want on your food.
Mist for Moisture: Misting ensures safe humidity levels where heavy watering can lead to crushing of sprouts, washing away of seeds, or mold in the soil.
Most greens are ready in about 10 to 14 days, but do not regrow once cut.
Rinse vegetables gently under cold water only and serve immediately.
It is not necessary to fertilize them, they get their initial nutrition from the seed itself.
Growing your own vegetables also means saving money, sometimes this healthy ingredient is expensive at the grocery store or looks less than fresh. Keep in mind that each one tastes different, if you don’t like one microgreen you may enjoy another, so experiment as much as you like, now that you know the nutritional benefits are quite worth it. If you try a few varieties and still want something a little milder that adds nutrition to meals, you can always eat chia seeds. While the chia sprout does have flavor, the seeds themselves do not. They can be mixed into everyday meals without altering the flavor, such as yogurt, ice cream, salad dressing, soup, stew, scrambled eggs, and peanut butter and peanut butter. If you can sprinkle, you can use chia seeds. Remember the last tip on sprouting: “Sprouts don’t need fertilizer because they get their initial nutrition from the seed”; this illustrates the nutritional power of chia as you watch it grow. Its bud is large and vigorous despite the tiny size of the seeds. And it’s no surprise because the seed contains more calcium by weight than milk, is 23% complete protein (just like you’d find in meat), has healthy omega-3 oils, and two types of fiber, plus B vitamins. and the trace element boron.
With eating fresh and eating raw getting so much hype for its health benefits, you can be ahead of the curve with the freshest food in town…food you harvest minutes before serving. Save money at the store and save space in your home, because microgreens can be grown in small batches and never require massive pots or large areas. Something as simple as a foil pie pan and a small bag of potting mix is all you need to get started (and the seeds, of course!) so there’s hardly any upfront cost in time or supplies.