What are Microgreens and why should I eat them?

Micro greens are the baby shoots and sprouts of a variety of vegetable seeds. They are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, and they are simple to grow on a windowsill in your kitchen! Lets take a look at what are microgreens and why should I eat them?

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Egg on toast on a plate, topped with microgreens

It’s early summer, the garden is in full swing and we are starting to harvest lots of delicious produce! We don’t really want to think about those long winter months…

But imagine with me, if you will, the short days. The cold evenings drawing right in. The fresh produce form the bountiful garden is a distant memory…

Here comes the vegetable version of a ‘knight in shining armour’ – Microgreens!!

Fresh green shoots and sprouts (not brussels, bean) top your stews, soups and sandwiches and it reminds you of the beautiful fresh lettuce to come in the summer. (and it’s sooooo good for you)

Sold yet?

What are Microgreens?

Microgreens and sprouts are exactly what they sound like, a tiny early version of the veggie. Usually used just after sprouting or growing green leaves.

A vegetable seed contains within it all the information, energy and detail that it needs to produce the adult version of the plant. When the seed germinates, it uses a lot of that energy and nutrition to create the first roots and leaves in a big burst. Using them at this early stage harnesses all of that nutrition at it’s best.

A great example we would all know is cress. I’m sure we all remember growing cress at school on a sheet of kitchen roll and putting it in a sandwich. Well, this is the same idea, just with lots of different seeds.

Who can grow microgreens?

ANYONE!!! You don’t need a garden at all, you can put them in a jar or a seed tray of compost on your windowsill. All most seeds need to germinate are moisture and warmth (and sometimes light).

Lettuce is a great example of a microgreen to grow that you don’t need a ton of room for. No planters in a sunny spot, or raised beds to grow these tiny nutritional powerhouses.

The difference between Microgreens and Sprouts

Although microgreens and sprouts are used in very similar ways, there are slight differences between them. A sprout is usually used before the leaves grow beyond the first leaves. They have a shorter cycle of growth, around 2-7 days. Common sprouts you are probably familiar with are bean sprouts in stir fry mix.

Alfalfa sprouts in an upside down jar on a windowsill

Microgreens usually grow for around 7-14 days before harvesting, and are used for the new true leaves that emerge. The stems and leaves are edible and used freshly cut.

So why should I eat them?

Because they are harvested at such an early time in their development, they are packed full of nutrients and antioxidants. This means that they are often more nutrient dense than the adult version of the vegetable!

Take, for example, broccoli greens. They are rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, and microelements, including copper, iron, manganese, and zinc – Source

Microgreens have been shown to lose the nutritional benefits quickly after harvesting however, so this is a great reason to grow your own. The freshest most nutritional greens are used straight away from your windowsill. Perfect! – Source

It’s great to know all of the things they contain, but what do they actually do?

Microgreens have the ability to:

Lower bad cholesterol
Reduce the risk of heart disease
Protect against diabetes
Protect against certain types of cancer

The antioxidants in the sprouted seed have become more concentrated and more bioavailable through the germination process so it’s not a surprise that they could protect against some of these diseases.

( It’s important to note that studies are limited at this point, and further investigation is needed to show conclusive effects on humans)

How to grow Microgreens

It’s really simple. A container, some soil, some seeds, water and a windowsill.

Start by putting some compost into a seed tray or shallow container.

A black tray of compost and seeds lined up to grow microgreens

Place or scatter the seeds onto the soil and cover lightly with a little more compost. (some seeds require light to germinate, so no need to cover, but do read the packet for yourself)

Water lightly to moisten but don’t let it get soggy.

Two trays of moist compost on a windowsill growing microgreens

Label, and place on a sunny windowsill (PLEEAASE don’t skip the labelling.. I promise you will not remember later. We all think we will, and we all forget. Just label it. I promise it’s worth it.)

Keep an eye on them and in a few days you should see tiny shoots!

This is my cress after 2 days

A tray of newly sprouted cress microgreens

And my cress and peas after 5 days

A tray of cress next to a tray of sprouted pea shoots for microgreens

The cress is ready to use, but the pea shoots probably need a couple more days.

If you’d like to grow your own, these are a great starter kit, containing lots of different types of seed.

So what do you do with them?

Fresh microgreens are great as an addition to sandwiches, not just egg and cress! You could:

Put some on a pastrami sandwich with pickle, for a fresh hit.
Top scrambled eggs with avocado and microgreens
Lift Avo on toast by sprinkling with alfalfa sprouts and sesame seeds
Add as a garnish on top of soup with cream or yoghurt
Add to smoothies or juices
Garnish your favourite pizza with fresh microgreens for a lovely contrast

This little but mighty tray of fresh leaves is a cheap, easy and really handy way to add a big nutritional hit to your diet for not much effort. And if you or your family don’t like one, pick it off and try another. There’s really not much to lose!

Tell me your favourite seed to sprout and grow in the comments below. Share if you liked this page! Thanks friends x