Microgreens are delicious young vegetable greens. They are usually grown to around 14 days old and about 1-3 inches tall. They are an extremely healthy superfood and are packed full of vital nutrients and vitamins. Microgreens are acknowledged as being a functional food, which means they can provide key nutrients, that can be eaten easily.
Microgreens are very nutritious and packed with nutrients, a good source of fibre and low in calories. Microgreens share many of the same nutrient content as vegetables, being rich in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper. Microgreens are also a rich source of beneficial plant compounds like antioxidants. Broccoli, particularly, contains sulforaphane, which is widely studied and shown to have many health benefits.
Since they are packed with nutrients and vitamins, it is far easier to eat your recommended daily quotas with microgreens than with regular vegetables. This convenience makes it a huge health benefit to consume microgreeens regularly.
They are extremely versatile and super convenient to eat. They are best eaten raw as they lose some vitamins and enzymes when cooked. You can use them as an alternative to lettuce in a salad, as a side to any main dish, as a garnish for salads/soups or in sandwiches, or in sushi rolls. They are even great by themselves as a snack.
It's no secret that a lot of kids do not like to eat their vegetables. If your child would rather eat dirt than spinach, then microgreens are a great way to encourage healthy eating. With my kids, I can say that they are more willing to eat “cute”, succulent and tasty vegetables in the form of microgreens. Sunflower and pea shoots tend to be the most popular among kids.
Microgreens may be small but they pack a big punch when it comes to nutritional content. Research has shown that microgreens contain from 6 - 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their fully grown vegetable counterparts.
Sprouts grow without soil and don't need light. They are at the very initial stage of germination, whereas microgreens are at the next stage of a plants growth cycle, where green leaves have formed. Microgreens have added health benefits, have a longer shelf life, and are tastier.
Buying microgreens can seem expensive, but once you factor in that they are between 6-40 times the nutritional density of mature vegetables, they represent great value. Viewed from a nutritional standpoint, they are a good deal.
All microgreens are extremely low in calories, and so they are a great way to take in nutrition. Studies have shown that an increase of vitamins and minerals is linked to weight loss. It has also been shown that certain compounds and nutrients can aid the breakdown of fat.
In short the way I grow microgreens following all the possible stringencies regarding the laws of shmita, they are grown indoors, raised from the floor, in containers without holes and with a plastic sheet on the floor. This gives them the status of motsah menutak, and shmita laws don't apply.
Microgreens and sprouts are considered a sufek d’rabanan whether to take or not. I have consulted with Machon Torah V'Aretz and am a member of their fund and take truma v’maeseh, with all the humrot that are available in accordance with Machon Torah V'Aretz.
The microgreens don't come pre-washed, however they are grown indoors and without soil- we use coconut fibre as a soil substitute. I always wear gloves for hygiene when harvesting the microgreens. You can give them a light wash, or eat them directly. It's a personal choice.