Microgreens

Microgreens are simply tiny plants. Smaller than baby greens and larger than sprouts. Microgreens come in many flavors. Some of the more popular are arugula, broccoli, buckwheat lettuce, clover, kale, mustard greens, pea shoots, and sunflower greens.

Microgreens are typically 2-3 inches tall with a single stem and fully developed cotyledon leaves at the top. The average grow time varies between 10 to 14 days. If you let them grow longer, they’ll start to develop true leaves. People usually harvest them either just before, or just after, the true leaves appear.

Microgreens are usually grown in soil, often in a plastic tray, and harvested just above the soil line. However, you can also grow them in a soil-less medium in something resembling a blanket or piece of fabric. They are simple to grow and super nutritious. And very cheap. Which means more superfood bang for your buck.

Microgreens Benefits

Turns out that size does matter. At least according to researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service who performed several studies on the nutritional profiles of microgreens.

They discovered that microgreens contain considerably higher levels of vitamins and carotenoids—about five times greater—than their mature plant counterparts. And if you’re growing them yourself, you’ll know that they’re fresh, which also maximizes nutrient content.

First off, growing microgreens is hardly what I’d call difficult. And second, this estimate may even be on the low side. According to the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Maryland, microgreens can contain up to 40 times the nutrients of their full grown compadres.

Benefits of microgreens, compared to full grown veggies, include …

• More enzymes
• Better nutrient absorption
• More vitamins and minerals
• More bio-available nutrients
• More essential fatty acids
• More disease-fighting antioxidants
• Richer in oxygen
• More alkalizing
• Better cell regeneration
• Much more protein
• Locally grown & super fresh
• Always organic
• Very inexpensive

Of course, we all know that raw and organic vegetables are good for you, particularly greens, or in this case – microgreens. According to Mercola.com …

Researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute’s Molecular Immunology division have discovered that a gene, called T-bet, which is essential for producing critical immune cells in your gut, responds to the food you eat—specifically leafy green vegetables. 

The cells this gene produces are called innate lymphoid cells. They are found in the lining of your digestive system. They protect the body from bad bacteria, inflammatory diseases, even certain types of cancer. And they promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Inflammatory diseases, which include heart disease, cancer, and 80 or so auto-immune diseases, are the result of chronic inflammation. Reducing or eliminating chronic inflammation significantly lowers your risk for many of these diseases. And while normal greens like spinach and kale are very beneficial, microgreens are a turbo-charged version capable of delivering exponentially more nutrients and health benefits.

According to a 2010 study conducted by the American Society for Horticultural Science, lettuce seedlings 7 days after germination provided the greatest amount of antioxidants compared to any other stage of its growth cycle. And imagine how many microgreens you can consume, compared to the full grown vegetable.

This 2012 study assessing the vitamin and carotenoid concentrations in edible microgreens found that …

In comparison with nutritional concentrations in mature leaves, the microgreen cotyledon leaves possessed higher nutritional densities.[122]

They listed red cabbage, cilantro, garnet amaranth, and green daikon radish as having the highest concentrations of vitamins C and E, carotenoids (such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin) and other various phytonutrients.

Antioxidants are vitally important for fighting disease, getting healthy, and staying healthy. Adding microgreens to your diet, which contain significantly more antioxidants than full grown vegetables, plus are super fresh, super cheap, and super easy to grow … well, this is what I like to call a no-brainer.

Microgreens Uses

There are a lot of ways you can eat microgreens. My favorites include salads, sandwiches, alone by the handful, and you can always include them in cooked foods. They make a wonderful addition to omelets and other egg dishes, stir frys, soups, and are especially good in anything with goat cheese. (I really love cheese!)  And now for the obligatory Pinterest page – behold, microgreen recipes!

Now for the how. In this video, Laura from Garden Answer will show you just how easy it is to grow microgreens. There are multiple ways to do this, of course. You can use soil, as she does, or a soil-less medium, of which there are several. If going for maximum nutrition, opt for a good organic potting soil, as it will supply your microgreens with many more nutrients.

You can also plant the seeds straight away, as Laura does in the video, or you can sprout them first for two or three days, which I find easier. To do this, simply soak your seeds for 12 hours then drain them. Rinse and drain every 12 hours till they begin to sprout. Make sure drainage is good, and you can even purchase actual sprouters to handle this. Once your microgreens have sprouted, spread them out on your soil (or soil-less medium), and spray them at least 2 to 3 times a day with water.

They don’t require a ton of sunlight, so anywhere receiving a good amount of natural light will work. Of course, considering the value of chlorophyll that sunlight provides, more will always be better.

Harvest after 7-14 days, by cutting them just above the soil line before the first set of true leaves appear. Or right after. You’ll notice that these come in about half-way down the stalk or stem. Store them in your refrigerator, or gobble them down as you harvest. Once you get into a routine, you’ll know when to start new batches and how much to grow, to ensure a steady (and fresh) supply.

I’ve purchased sprouting seeds from a few different places over the years, but recently have become a fan (and customer) of Sproutman. Check out their microgreen seed supply and see what you think.

You can’t go wrong with sunflower greens, and that is definitely where I would begin. And where I did begin. As for which sprouter you want to use, that will depend on whether or not you want to use soil. Soil enhances nutrients, but it will be more work, and provide a steeper learning curve initially. Sproutman has a few different options, from a tray set-up requiring soil and care, to an automatic watering system requiring nothing more than simply spreading some seeds out.