If you haven’t heard of microgreens before, the term refers to plant sprouts which are harvested in the early stages of their growth. They are usually grown indoors or in greenhouses, in soil or soil substrates.
Not only does this save cost to the farmer as far as their feed and energy consumption is concerned, but also tend to be more nutrient rich than other types of greens. According to the USDA these microgreens can have up to 5 times the nutritional value of other greens we commonly eat, and are especially rich in vitamins A, C, E and K.
On top of this these microgreens can even be grown on your own, making them a cheap and easy way to get plenty of the nutrition that your body needs to stay healthy.
What Are the Top Benefits We Can Get From Microgreens?
1-Loaded With Nutrition
The reason why you want to consider microgreens above all else is because they are full of nutrition, and thus can improve our health. As mentioned prior, many of these microgreens are more nutritionally rich than their fully grown counterparts, making them even more desirable.
Not only are these microgreens high in nutrients, they are nutritionally diverse as well. They are loaded with manganese, folate, and various vitamins as well.
Many of these vitamins are ones we also refer to as antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals and reduce the damage done to our body via oxidation. Antioxidants are one of the first lines we have against disease in their ability to reduce inflammation of our tissues. This includes the fight against all different types of health issues stemming from minor problems like indigestion, all the way to life threatening illnesses such as cancer.
2- Easy to Grow and Convenient
The idea of growing your own food is just completely out of the question for many people out there, whether it be lack of time, lack of space or just not wanting to put the effort in. The idea of planting and maintaining your own garden is just overwhelming for many people out there, and many of us just don’t want to be bothered with it.
Growing your own microgreens however is completely different, it requires minimal time, effort and space. You can even grow them in a tray that hangs out of your window if you really are that short on space, so even people who live in cities can grow their own food this way.
This means easily accessible, nutritious and cheap food. The harvest time is usually within 7-14 days, so it gives you plenty of time to enjoy it at your leisure.
3-Can Be Consumed All Year Long
Another problem we face with many of the foods we eat, is that they are seasonal. They can only grow and flourish under certain conditions, and is not available all year round. You aren’t going to find too many melons around during the winter, or too many pumpkins in the summer.
Microgreens on the other hand can be grown all year round, because they can easily be grown indoors. Temperature and light control allows us to do this, providing us with this excellent source of nutrition year round.
4-Improved Cardiovascular Health
Diseases related to poor heart health and cardiovascular functioning are the leading causes of death in the United States. These diseases are very closely linked to the foods that we eat, such as ones high in triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and trans fats.
Microgreens and vegetables on the other hand have been shown to improve our heart health and cardiovascular functioning. Eating these types of foods helps to both reduce the plaque buildup in our blood vessels and also helps them retain their elasticity. Both of these factors are extremely important when it comes to the health of our cardiovascular system.
What Microgreens Can I Grow at Home?
As far as what microgreens you can grow, there are probably less you can’t than you can. You can grow pretty much any type of vegetable or herb you want as a microgreen such as carrots, beets, cabbage, chia, and basil.
Just remember that your microgreens nutrition is going to peak at about 7 days, or when they first begin to sprout. This is the best time to eat them, as the longer you wait the more nutrition they will lose.
