Superfood Spotlight: Microgreens

Have you noticed that lettuce has gotten smaller and much of the salad we eat consists of tiny leaves in all different shapes and sizes? Lucky for us, this new and trendy use of microgreens is actually better for us than the chopped leaves of romaine lettuce.

Microgreens are the first leaves to sprout from seeds. Theoretically it makes sense that these baby leaves are packed with tons of nutrients and phytochemicals (healthy, beneficial plant chemicals) because these leaves have the capacity to one grow into larger herbs and vegetables.

In 2012, a study assessed the vitamin and carotenoid concentration in microgreens and found that microgreens indeed had higher nutritional value compared to mature leaves.

Yesterday I was at my aunt’s house and she showed me the microgreens she is growing and they sparked the inspiration for this post. The awesome thing about microgreens is that you don’t need very much space to grow them, and easy to follow, at home kits exist (see the links below). Growing my own micro greens is definitely something I want to try! 

If you opt to purchase your micro greens, some grocery stores may carry them. Be sure to opt for organic whenever possible to avoid pesticide use. We can never get enough greens into our diet so simply add a side salad of microgreens to any meal!