Don’t let the name fool you – microgreens come in a variety of colours, and are therefore popular garnished with chefs. They are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs harvested less than 14 days after germination, usually about 1-3 inches long. This study is the first to scientifically evaluate their nutritional content.
Researchers say they were astonished by the results, as they were ‘four- to 40-fold more concentrated with nutrients than their mature counterparts’ and according to researcher Qin Wang, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland in College Park, ‘When we first got the results we had to rush to double and triple check them.’
Researchers looked at 25 different commercially grown microgreens, and evaluated their levels of four groups of vital nutrients, including vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and beta-carotene. Among garnet amaranth, green daikon radish and red cabbage microgreens, Vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin E levels were highest, and red cabbage microgreens had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage. Cilantro microgreens were richest in terms of lutein and beta-carotene, with three times more beta-carotene than mature cilantro.
According to researcher Gene Lester, PhD, of the USDA, your wellbeing could greatly improve by adding microgreens to your diet as ‘All of these nutrients are extremely important for skin, eyes, and fighting cancer and have all sorts of benefits associated with them’.
But why do microgreens pack such a nutritional punch? Although more research is needed, Wang suggests that ‘Because microgreens are harvested right after germination, all the nutrients they need to grow are there,’ and therefore ‘If they are harvested at the right time they are very concentrated with nutrients and the flavour and texture is also good’.
Until recently, commercially grown microgreens have only been available to chefs, who use them as flavour accents and garnishes for soups, salads, and sandwiches because of their intense flavour and aesthetic appeal. However, you can now find them at most farmers markets and upscale grocery stores, and registered dietician Roberta Duyff says that they are quick and easy to grow indoors on a sunny windowsill which could be a great project for your kids.