I first heard from a vegan friend about this new super food craze few months ago. They actually look like sprouts but microgreens and sprouts are different. The photo above are my first grown microgreens of Pea, Rocket, Radish, Sunflower and Broccoli. So what is microgreens exactly and their massive benefits?
WHAT ARE MICROGREENS?
- Microgreens are delicate, tiny greens of vegetables, herbs,fruits and other edible plants.
- Their sizes range from 1 to 3 inches long including stem and leaves
- They differ in colors, textures and distinct taste of freshness.
- According to University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s study, microgreens contained four to 40 times of essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and anti oxidant compare to their fully matured counterparts.
- Microgreens are fast, easy and convenient to grow. They can be harvested seven to twelve days after germination.
- Red cabbage microgreens for example is one of the superb microgreens as it contains 40 times more Vitamin C, and 69 times more Vitamin E than the fully developed or matured red cabbage plant.
CLASSIFICATION & KINDS OF MICROGREENS
Most popular microgreens can be classified through their family plants variety.
Amaranthaceae family: Amaranth, quinoa swiss chard, beet and spinach
Brassicaceae family: Arugula, broccoli, cabbage, radish, and watercress
Cucurbitaceae family: Cucumber, melon, and squash
MICROGREENS RECIPES
These tiny greens with massive benefits are not just for garnish. It's very versatile. It can be stir fry, mix in soups, biscuit topping and salads.
Sunflower is not just one of my favorite edible flower but also my favorite microgreen.
For more microgreens recipes, keep posted for my Foodie Friday recipes!
Until next time!
All contents are mine unless stated otherwise.
This post can also be read in my Weku
Category: Food Photography
Camera: Nikon D3100
Setting: ISO-400 f/1.8 1/60 sec 50mm
Have a joyful day Steemian!
