Nourish

The TINY Superfood you should be eating.

Lauren Talbot Gillanby
Microgreens are like "pre-vegetables." They are nutritional powerhouses. Each tiny microgreen harnesses the nutritional power to grow into a produce *producing* plant, containing 9x as many nutrients as their adult counterparts and perhaps 40x more antioxidants. What research does not mention is how much more easier to digest they are... making it far more appealing to eat a bowl of microgreens than say... 9 bowls of broccoli 🥦.

You have heard of microgreens, 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 1-3 weeks after germination.  (In other words, they are not a sprout anymore).

Microgreens are somewhere between a “sprout” and a baby vegetable leaf.

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

When I think of microgreens, I legit think of Tom Haverford’s reference to eggs as “pre-birds” on “Parks and Recreation.”

Microgreens are literally “pre-vegetables”. 

All jokes aside, if I could recommend that you eat one leafy green vegetable for the rest of your life, microgreens would be it. Each tiny microgreen harnesses the nutritional power to grow into an 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 microgreens 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. 

Everyone wins with broccoli microgreens, however. 

You will get more nutrients into every bite. 

AKA:  Less digestive discomfort + more bioavailable nutrients. 

Eat them in replace of salad greens, add them to your sandwiches, or sprinkle them over your avocado and pasta. 

In Dallas, we love Skye Farms, which you can find at the Dallas Farmers Market. 

Can’t hit up the markets?

Out of town? Don’t live in Dallas?

Trader Joe’s often carries microgreens. 

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