When it comes to eating your greens, it turns out that you don’t have to go big or go home. Even the teeny-tiny versions of your favorite veggies (think broccoli, spinach, peas, arugula, cilantro, cabbage and radishes) pack a powerful nutritional punch. So, what are these mini-me versions exactly? “Micro-greens are veggie seedlings — harvested for less than 14 days, just when the first little shoots sprout,” says Brooke Alpert, founder of B Nutritious and co-author of The Sugar Detox (out in late June).
Once used as simply a garnish, microgreens got a bump from a C- to A-list veggie after a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
found that they contained crazy amounts of nutrients compared to their full-grown versions — essentially stellar levels of vitamin C, K, and E in red cabbage and radishes, as well as antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene in cilantro. “Micro-greens have all the nutrients — vitamins and phytochemicals — needed to help them grow to mature size,” explains Alpert.
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But. she says, it doesn’t mean the micro versions can replace the real deal. “They are nutritionally dense, but they don’t have the same amount of fiber that full-size vegetables do. So, you don’t want to replace regular veggies, you just want to add them to your diet — it’s an easy way to get a nutritional powerhouse into your meals.” Throw some of the tiny, flavorful, and texture-added goodness over your salad or sandwich, or use them as a full-blown side dish with your salmon or steak. Why? Because nobody puts microgreens in the corner.
Potting Shed Creations Veggie Micro-Green Kit, $40, available at Uncommon Goods.
Opener Photo: Via To Sing With Goats