There are many health benefits of microgreens, and they are an extremely flavorful food as well. In addition to their great taste, microgreens are also loaded with nutrients. Exactly what kind of microgreens one grows depends on the variety cultivated with the microgreens. There are some types of microgreens that have a spicy taste, while others have a more nutty taste. This makes pairing microgreens with other vegetables and dishes wonderfully easy!
Our customers often ask us how to pair microgreens with their foods. Science has shown that in addition to the fact that microgreens look beautiful on a dish, they are also packed with nutrients that other veggies don’t have.
Many of your favorite foods can be enhanced with microgreens, as they can be used as a healthy addition to them. Eggs are just one of the popular uses for our greens and many of our customers have experimented with the different ways to use them in order to create a tasty and nutritious recipe!
What are microgreens, and why should you care?
In terms of nutrition and vitamins, microgreens are rich in minerals, essential amino acids, and antioxidants, which help the body against and treat diseases and conditions such as:
- high blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s
- Autoimmunity
- Stress
- Depression
Having a well-balanced diet is found to be key to preventing diseases so why not try microgreens? Many microgreens contain a compound called Sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is found to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Microgreens are made by starting seeds in a controlled environment. These greens are lower in carbohydrates because of the germination process. This makes them easier to digest.
In addition to the fact that microgreens make digestion easier, they also provide enough prebiotics to support your gut health. Microgreens contain a high concentration of prebiotic fiber, your digestive tract will be stimulated to produce beneficial microbes due to this. Healthier guts are associated with improved immunity, healthy elimination, reduced risk of colorectal cancer, increased energy, and improved weight management.
What are the benefits of eating microgreens?
Microgreens have plenty of benefits for the body.
There are a wide variety of uses for these ingredients, from nutritional supplements to visual enhancements to flavor and texture enhancements. One of the ways you can use microgreens is as a sweetener and spice for your food. In order to understand microgreens precisely, it is necessary to note their size is smaller than the size of baby greens since they are harvested shortly after sprouting, not after multiple leaves have appeared on the plant. As such, the greens have become a specialty item in upscale grocery stores, and are good to garnish salads, soups, sandwiches, and plates.
In studies, researchers found that microgreens contain 4 to 40 times more nutrients than mature leaves of the same plant, such as vitamins C, E, and K, lutein, and beta-carotene. A study found that microgreens are 5 times as nutrient-dense as mature plants (vitamins and carotenoids).
Furthermore, organic foods are less harmful to the environment and provide more nutrition to the consumer. There is no surprise that modern agriculture is polluting because of the amount of machinery, chemicals, and shipping involved in it.
The controlled environment in which microgreens are grown does not require the enormous amount of machinery or chemical inputs required in large-scale agricultural production.
When we eat a diet rich in nutritious foods, we get the essential nutrients necessary to build immunity, and good health reduces the chances of developing cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. In addition, eating healthily is associated with many other benefits.
Fire has been used by humans for centuries in order to cook their food. We have recently discovered that by cooking our vegetables, we lose about half of their energy and nutrients. On the other hand, microgreens are able to retain approximately 75% of their nutrients even when they are cooked.
Like their full-grown counterparts, microgreens differ in their levels of these nutrients as well, just as they do for their full-grown counterparts.
It is true that mature vegetables will never be able to replace microgreens since mature vegetables provide your body with all the fiber it needs. But microgreens can add to your nutritional intake in other areas.
Microgreens contain many nutrients, vitamins, and other healthy ingredients, so you can easily consume your recommended daily intake from them.
The FDA has many resources regarding nutrition!
As well as the above benefits, there are the following:
- Produce that is fresher
- Better flavor
- Reduction of various diseases
It’s no wonder that microgreens have become popular among everyone!
Are Microgreens The Same As Sprouts?
There is a difference between sprouts and microgreens. Microgreens are ready for consumption two weeks after germination, while sprouts do not.
Approximately three inches tall and with their first leaves, microgreens are harvested when they have reached their harvest height. Plant sprouts, on the other hand, normally take less than a week to reach the point of being ready to eat.
As a matter of fact, microgreens are grown in soil, while sprouts are germinated in water. There is nothing that is not edible in Microgreens, we eat all of it including the stems and leaves, but we eat only the seeds of sprouts.
Sprouts and sprouts are both tasty, but the true flavor and character of sprouts do not fully develop until after they are planted. The magic of microgreen plants lies in the fact that it takes a little longer for them to establish their own nutrient profile.
The longer growth in comparison to sprouts makes their nutrition and flavor further developed.
In addition to the nutrients in microgreens compared to sprouts, microgreens have more uses than sprouts.
How do you incorporate microgreens in food?
Microgreens in addition to meals can be a great way to improve the look, flavor, and nutrients associated with your meal.
While some people will suggest that you can stir fry microgreens like you would regular greens, we do not suggest this as it loses its nutrition over time. Instead, use microgreens like you would lettuce on tacos and other meals.
Other methods include adding microgreens to smoothies or even juicing them!
Microgreens are food that one can use in many ways!
If you want to make your food look a little more professional or fancy, consider adding microgreens as a garnish. Using microgreens as a garnish is a good way to use up any leftover or excess microgreens.
The appearance of microgreens is delicate yet eye-catching. Due to their bright, colorful appearance, microgreens are a great addition to a variety of dishes. Besides looking great as a garnish, microgreens are also delicious.
Can you eat microgreens raw?
Buying microgreens from a source that is safe allows them to be eaten raw. If you buy them from a reputable source, make sure to wash them thoroughly.
Regulations and rules have been implemented all over the country to ensure that buyers are not put at risk of falling ill due to bacteria like E.coli. It is best to consume small amounts of microgreens moderately as they have a higher concentration of nutrients as compared to adult plants.
Can you eat microgreens as a salad?
There is nothing better than a salad made of microgreens! In addition to their many other uses, many of our products can be used to make an excellent salad.
In addition to being a versatile food option, microgreens are easy to incorporate into your diet in many different ways. Adding microgreens to your salad goes beyond the aesthetics and color pop, microgreens will also give your salad a great taste, a strong nutritional boost, and some extra crunch.
Even though raw microgreens can be used as a garnish, they are also good to add a little bit of vinaigrette to make a salad on top of food. In addition to heavy meats such as steak, a miniature salad can offer a light, refreshing touch.
As a matter of fact, microgreens are a powerhouse of nutrients and are packed with many essential nutrients. There are many different kinds of salads available nowadays, and you can find them in various flavors and tastes.
What do you eat with microgreens?
Microgreens can be eaten in various ways and can depend on the individual microgreen variety! Many of our customers make things like poke bowls, tacos, and other topped meals with our microgreens.
You can add a pop of freshness to your pizza by adding microgreens to the top. In addition to pizza, tacos, and smoothies; microgreens do well as a pesto! Using microgreens to make pesto can be a great way to use up microgreens and add a lot of nutrients to your food in a tasty way!
Microgreens can make a wonderful addition to all of your foods! This has made them grow in popularity in the last few years!
Here at 4 Leaf Micros we are dedicated to the growth of microgreens and would love to service you!
