The Big Story on Micro-Greens

Earlier in the year when we started the internal micro green business, we had no idea how much market demand there would be. That initiative has grown over 10 times. And for good reason, as Dallas-based, Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Restorative Farms nutrition advisor, Lauren Gillan tells us, pound for pound or more correctly ounce for ounce, micro greens offer a premium of nutrition. Read on:

You have heard of micro greens, yes?

You know, those adorable little baby greens that are sprinkled over your truffle shaved spaghetti, or added to your toasted sourdough with mashed avocado?

Yep. Those guys.

While they may elevate the look of your dish, they also elevate the nutritional value.

Not to be confused with sprouts, which remind me of an old school health food store that smells of vitamins and adds “said sprouts” into tofurkey tortilla wraps with a vegan mayo, microgreens are literally baby plants that have been harvested anywhere between 1-2 weeks after germination.  (In other words, they are not a sprout anymore).

 Micro greens are somewhere between a “sprout” and a baby vegetable leaf.  Micro greens are literally “pre-vegetables”.

Our very own homegrown micro greens.

There are over 60 types of micro greens, some tasting quite similarly to their adult selves. Radish micro greens, for instance, taste quite spicy and bold like a crunchy radish, while other varieties are more subtle in flavor.

 If I could recommend that you eat one leafy green vegetable for the rest of your life, micro greens would be it. Each tiny micro green harnesses the nutritional power to grow into a produce *producing* plant. A future vegetable, if you will.

This is important because studies suggest that microgreens can have a substantially higher nutritional value than their mature counterparts and are said to be up to 9x higher in vitamins and minerals like Vitamin K,  iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium and copper and potentially 40x higher in antioxidants, according to Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. What research fails to mention is that micro greens are also easier to digest than their more cruciferous adult counterparts!

When food is easier to digest, nutrients are more easily absorbed and utilized.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, for instance, can leave people feeling uncomfortably bloated and cause digestive distress. But, everyone wins with broccoli micro greens, however. You will get more nutrients into every bite: Less digestive discomfort = more bioavailable nutrients.

Eat them in place of salad greens. Add them to your sandwiches. Sprinkle them over your avocado and pasta. However you do it: Get them into your diet!

CONTRIBUTED BY:

Lauren Talbot Gillan, Dallas, TX-based Certified Holistic Nutritionist // laurengillan.com