What are Micro greens?
Micro greens are edible seedlings of vegetables and herbs, which are harvested when they are very young, about 2 to 3 inches tall. These baby plants are cut soon after germination and are high in nutrition and health benefits. Some of the most common micro greens consumed are cilantro, mustard, basil, amaranth and beets.
Micro greens Health Benefits
Researchers were surprised to find that the micro greens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts. Red cabbage had forty times more vitamin E than the mature red cabbage. It also had almost six times more of vitamin C. They found that cilantro micro greens had more beta-carotene than the mature ones. Cilantro micro greens are also the richest in terms of lutein and beta–carotene.
The Study was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. Four groups of nutrients were studied. These included vitamin K, C, E, lutein and beta–carotene in 25 micro greens. It was found that vitamin C, K and E levels were highest in red cabbage, garnet amaranth and green daikon radish micro greens. The researchers believe that the nutrients in the micro greens are very concentrated because they are harvested soon after germination and hence all the nutrients that are needed for growth are still there.
Vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, beta carotene are very important for fighting cancer and also have benefits of skin, eyes and immunity. They have a high antioxidant content, which is why they may help prevent diseases and promote good health.
How to grow Micro greens at Home
Take a flat dish and fill it with soil/coco peat and compost. Sprinkle the seeds on the soil and spray water on to them. Place your seeds in a dark warm place until they germinate. As soon as your seeds have germinated, move your tray to a sunny location. Keep the soil moist and watered and see that the water drains well. The micro greens will be ready in 7 to 14 days. Harvest them when they are 2-3 inches tall.
Watch this video on how to grow micro greens with mustard seeds