Microgreens~ A Taste Bud Adventure...

What are they?

Microgreens are tiny edible vegetable and herbs, harvested most often just after they get their true set of leaves, they are power packed vegetable greens, with a super nutrient dense punch that are used both as a visual element and flavor enhancing ingredient that were primarily used in fine dining restaurants; however these super greens are becoming increasingly popular at other establishments;
such as small artisan owner operated cafes and restaurants that highlight farm to table dining experiences; juice and coffee cafes and now the home kitchen; 
they can be eaten as salads, braised,  juiced, or added to; smoothies, salads, wraps,
sandwiches, soups, or as a super snack!
They are delicious and nutritious.

How are they grown?

They are grown in multiple ways, just like full size plants; in the ground, in containers,  hydroponically or  aquaponically.
There are numerous types of substrates, not ALL are organic!!

The seeds used to grow microgreens are the very same seeds used to grow full size vegetables, but not all seeds are the same.
When I teach my biological gardening class
I go over all of the characteristics of choosing the proper seeds.
Seed choices are extremely important to successful crop growing in ALL aspects of gardening and farming, but the MOST important when it comes to growing microgreens.
The seeds should ALWAYS  be organic and the substrate and or soil used should ALWAYS be organic.
Not all microgreens are grown the same, just as not all vegetables are grown the same.
We as consumers must ask the necessary questions to be confident we are getting a safe product.

Why buy microgreens?

Well, let me tell you the first and most amazing benefit of eating microgreens is the TASTE.
I personally will not eat something, NO MATTER how many health benefits it contains, IF I DON'T LIKE the TASTE! lol ;)
So first and foremost, they taste AMAZING!

What are the health benefits?

Researchers found microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
Source: WebMD
The results are published in the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin E levels were highest among red cabbage, garnet amaranth, and green daikon radish microgreens.
Cilantro microgreens were richest in terms of lutein and beta-carotene.
“All of these nutrients are extremely important for skin, eyes, and fighting cancer and have all sorts of benefits associated with them,” says researcher Gene Lester, PhD, of the USDA.

A little goes a LONG way!
My personal favorite microgreens are Sun Flower shoots. They taste just like sun flower seeds, but they are easier to digest, and the benefits are superior to that of eating the seeds.
Sunflower greens provide a significant amount of vitamin B, vitamin E and Zinc. They also contain chlorophyll, potassium and magnesium.
Sunflower greens offer all the amino acids needed to form a complete plant protein,
containing between twenty to twenty-five percent protein.
Keep checking back here on my blog as I write about the different microgreens and the amazing tastes and benefits they provide!
"Send your taste buds on an adventure"~ Cindy Laney
Know your farmer, Know your food!