Why You Should be Growing Micro Greens in Your Kitchen


 

Micro orchid

If you?re looking to add some texture and nutrition to your salads or sandwiches; or if you?re just interested in growing something for yourself or for your kids, petite micro greens might be for you. Here?s all you need to know about this amazing specialty produce:

They?re Easy to Find

Organic micro greens and micro herbs have been available for two to three decades now, and while they used to be a fairly minor niche product, these days they?re everywhere. Even fine restaurants have them, and you can certainly find organic micro greens at your local farmer?s market, co-op, or even many ordinary grocery stores.

They?re Easy to Raise

You don?t need to be an expert farmer to raise organic micro greens. They will spring up just fine in a tray on your kitchen windowsill. They might be the seeds of radish or arugula, but it only takes a week for them to sprout to the point where they can be harvested and sprinkled on everything. They don?t need fertilizer, they don?t need to be weeded, and you?ll never need to mulch the tray! Microgreens are a great way to introduce gardening to the kids and let them see how growing things work.

They Aren?t the Same Thing as Sprouts

Don?t get these mixed up. Sprouts grow in clean containers like jars and you eat the whole plant. You have to be very careful with sprouts lest they spoil. But organic micro greens grow in ordinary soil. They?re also much less likely to spoil than sprouts! Just remember to store them at about 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celcius). You can eat the leaves and stems of micro greens; just don?t eat the roots.

They?re Delicious and Nutritious

Sprinkle them on soups, mix them in salads, or add them to a sandwich for a bit of texture. Research indicates that our kids love to have lots of color and variety on their plates: six colors and seven foods is their average preference, compared to three colors and three foods for adults. Micro greens can be a great way to get some extra color and variety in there for the kids.

And for nutrition, if you?re eating organic micro greens, you should know that the USDA says they have five times more vitamins than the full-grown vegetable itself. So eat them now, while they?re young!

Whether you want to try your hand at some easy gardening, or just want to have nutrition and taste that?s easy to add to meals, growing micro greens yourself is a great place to start! For step-by-step instructions on how to start your own little mini garden, click here.

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