If you’re growing food for better health and nutrition, then you’re sure to have read about the benefits of getting more greens in your diet. Usually, we picture enormous leafy greens.
But these days, with many gardening for fewer people or in small spaces, the growing of microgreens is becoming more popular. Don’t let their size fool you – these miniature plants pack a nutritional punch.
They are small herbs or vegetables often grown for consumption in restaurants for garnish, which has now branches out to households and individuals. Microgreens are not just green, either!
They come in a variety of colors and are typically grown and harvested as young plants, just one to three inches in height. These are not sprouts, though. They’re grown a bit longer.
The great thing about growing microgreens is that more of the plant can be used in your food. When you grow large leafy greens, you often separate the leave from the thick stems, which are discarded.
But in microgreen harvesting, you can eat the stems and leaves together because they’re so soft and small. You don’t have to harvest an entire plant all at once, either. You can harvest just as much as you want off the plant and allow it to continue growing.
If your gardening space is severely limited, such as reserved for a windowsill, then microgreens are the perfect crop for you to consider. You can grow a variety of plants for this purpose.
Onions, dill, leek, celery and fennel are good examples of microgreens you can grow and harvest from continually. You can also grow lettuce, broccoli, radishes, spinach, and even cucumbers and squash.
Microgreens have a high amount of antioxidants, which are great for anti-aging purposes. The nutrients in microgreens are typically high in iron, copper, magnesium and potassium, in most cases.
Many studies show that microgreens have a much richer nutrient makeup than their mature plant versions. People use them for betting their heart health, cancer prevention and to help control their weight to manage their diabetes.
People use microgreens in smoothies, on sandwiches or pizza. There is no end to the ways you can insert them into your diet, but you want to preserve their nutrients when preparing them.
This is a perfect gardening strategy for those living in the city who have limited gardening space. They don’t take up space, but they also don’t take a lot of time to grow from seed to plate.
