Lots of questions at Market about Microgreens

Here is a quick post I threw together after answering the same basic questions a dozen times or more at the Merriam Farmers Market in the past couple weeks. Most of the following was sourced from Healthline.com but I pulled some info from WebMD as well.

Eating vegetables has been linked to a lower risk of many diseases.

This is likely thanks to the high amounts of vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds they contain.

Microgreens contain similar and often greater amounts of these nutrients than mature greens. As such, they may help reduce the risk of the following diseases: Heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes and Certain cancers.

While the outlook seems promising, note that the number of studies directly measuring the effect of microgreens on these medical conditions has been limited and more research is needed.

Microgreens are packed with nutrients.

While their nutrient contents vary slightly, most varieties tend to be rich in vitamins as well as potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and copper.

Microgreens are also a great source of beneficial plant compounds like antioxidants.

Their nutrient content is concentrated, containing higher vitamin, mineral and antioxidant levels than the same quantity of mature greens.

In fact, research comparing microgreens to more mature greens reports that nutrient levels in microgreens can be up to nine times higher than those found in mature greens.

Research also shows that they contain a wider variety of polyphenols and other antioxidants than their mature counterparts.

How to Include Microgreens in Your Diet

They can be incorporated into a variety of dishes, including sandwiches, wraps and salads. Microgreens may also be blended into smoothies or juiced. Wheatgrass juice is a popular example of a juiced microgreen.

Another option is to use them as garnishes on pizzas, soups, omelets, curries and other warm dishes.

Personally I like to simmer different Microgreens into butter or olive oil for use in cooking. They add a wealth of flavors when used on baked fish, chicken or pork as well as just spread on a slice of bread.

To sum up, Microgreens are flavorful and can easily be incorporated into your diet in a variety of ways.

And since they’re also generally very nutritious and may even reduce your risk of certain diseases they’re a worthwhile addition to your diet.