Consuming microgreens and sprouts can boost your brain health. We know that for an essential balanced diet, fresh fruits and vegetables must be included. Here Zoey Sky, Herbs.news, reflects on inexpensive powerful nutritional microgreens that are easy to grow:

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“Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients that keep you healthy. But did you know that microgreens also have incredible nutritional profiles?

Microgreens are young vegetable greens first introduced to the Californian restaurant scene in the 1980s. These aromatic greens, also called “micro herbs” or “vegetable confetti,” are full of flavor.

Microgreens are about one to three inches (2.5 to 7.5 centimeters) tall. They may be several times smaller than regular vegetables, but microgreens are rich in nutrients. They are also available in various colors and textures. (Related: Mighty microgreens: young vegetables found to be full of minerals.)

Image courtesy of: Washington State Department of Agriculture

Microgreens are somewhere between a sprout and a baby green. But unlike sprouts, microgreens have leaves. While sprouts have a shorter growing cycle of two to seven days, microgreens can be harvested seven to 21 days after germination or after their first true leaves emerge.

Like baby greens, only the stems and leaves of microgreens are considered edible. Microgreens can be bought whole and cut at home so you can keep them alive until they are consumed. Microgreens can be grown outdoors, in greenhouses, or on a windowsill.

Microgreens may have more nutrients than fully grown leafy greens

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Several studies suggest that, compared to mature vegetables, microgreens may have a superior antioxidant vitamin and mineral profile .

In a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists measured the concentrations of the following vitamins in 25 commercially available microgreens:

• Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
• Carotenoids (vitamin A)
• Phylloquinone (vitamin K1)
• Tocopherols (vitamin E)

They found that some microgreens have higher nutritional densities than fully grown leaves. For instance, they found the highest concentration of vitamin K1 in garnet amaranth, followed by red sorrel, green basil, pea tendrils, and red cabbage. The amounts of vitamin K1 in these microgreens were higher than the amounts found in mature vegetables.

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Both red cabbage and garnet amaranth microgreens had the highest concentrations of vitamin C, followed by China rose radish, opal basil, and opal radish. In fact, the concentration of vitamin C in red cabbage microgreens was 2.4 times greater than the estimated average requirement (EAR).

Red sorrel had the highest beta-carotene (provitamin A) concentration, followed by cilantro, red cabbage, and peppercress.

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Meanwhile, green daikon radish had very high levels of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol (vitamin E). Cilantro, opal radish, and peppercress microgreens also proved to be better sources of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol than mature spinach leaves.”

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