The health benefits of leafy greens are well known-- they’re high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but low in calories. They help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure, and help keep the mind sharp-- and of course, they taste great! (Well, some of them.)
It stands to reason that microgreens would have many of the same health benefits. Recent studies have shown that they do-- even more so than their fully grown counterparts. (1*) According to researcher Qin Wang, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland in College Park, “‘microgreens were four- to 40-fold more concentrated with nutrients than their mature counterparts.” He explains that “‘because microgreens are harvested right after germination, all the nutrients they need to grow are there,’” and if the greens are “‘harvested at the right time they are very concentrated with nutrients.” (2*)
According to the data available on the USDA’s website (3*), a 100 gram mixture of sunflower microgreens and basil microgreens provide 2.2g of protein, 2.2g of fiber, 15.9mg of iron, 88mg of calcium, and 298mg of potassium, all for only 28 calories. There are other nutrients and vitamins in microgreens also, like magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, folate, and vitamins C and A.
Not only are the nutrients highly concentrated in microgreens, but so are the concentrations of flavors and colors. These factors are loosely correlated, so an easy rule of thumb for picking which greens to eat is to choose the most colorful ones. This remains the case with microgreens! The smaller leaf size and high nutrient concentration make microgreens particularly flavorful and colorful. This is why so many chefs like to use them as garnishes. Microgreens have more flavor than baby greens and also a higher nutrition concentration.
Of course, there are many ways to eat microgreens-- they make flavorful and delicious salads, pestos, are excellent piled on sandwiches and tacos, added to smoothies and shakes, and of course, make great garnishes. No matter how you consume them, microgreens are a great way to add some nutritional value to any meal! The use of microgreens vary from salads, smoothies, snacks, to five star garnish.
Boston Microgreens is an urban farm located in the Heart of Boston growing Microgreens and medicinal herbs for restaurants and the community with only the finest seeds, soil and organic growing practices. The farm is 95% more water efficient than a traditional farm and runs on 100% renewable energy. We are a local urban cultivator striving to bring Boston the best microgreens possible. For more information or to place and order visit www.microgreens.boston
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