What are microgreens and what are the health benefits?
The most popular varieties are produced using seeds from the following plant families ( 1 ):
- Brassicaceae family: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, watercress, radish and arugula
- Asteraceae family: Lettuce, endive, chicory and radicchio
- Apiaceae family: Dill, carrot, fennel and celery
- Amaryllidaceae family: Garlic, onion, leek
- Amaranthaceae family: Amaranth, quinoa swiss chard, beet and spinach
- Cucurbitaceae family: Melon, cucumber and squash
What are the nutritional benefits of microgreens?
Benefits. 1. High in Nutrients. Microgreens are much more nutrient-dense foods than their fully mature counterparts. This is because they take all of the important vitamins and minerals found in the mature plant and manage to cram them into a much smaller package. Most vegetables provide a diverse array of nutrients.
When to eat micro greens?
- Provide antioxidants
- A good source of copper and vitamins A, C, and K
- Helps to lower blood pressure
- Promotes healthy bone development
- Detoxifies food
How to grow sunflower microgreens fast and easy?
- Use a quarter cup of seeds to cover 25 square inches.
- Use between 1 and 1 1/2 cups to cover 100 square inches
- Use between 2 and 3 cups to cover 200 square inches.
What is the healthiest microgreen?
Pea Microgreens/Pea Shoots Pea shoots are one of the healthiest types of microgreens, which is why we like to include them in our Seasonal Microgreens Seed Club from time to time.
Are sunflower microgreens nutritious?
Sunflower microgreens provide much of your body's daily dietary requirements and essential nutrients. These tiny greens are a good source of vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6 as well as folate. Sunnies pack in plenty of iron and protein. They contain healthy fats like omega-3s and omega-6s for brain health.
What are the benefits of sunflower microgreens?
Health Benefits Of Sunflower MicrogreensGood For Your Heart. Cardiovascular disease is a term used to describe diseases of the heart and blood vessels. ... Good For Your Eyes. ... Aids In Weight Loss. ... May Reduce Menopausal Symptoms. ... Good For Bone Health. ... Contains Essential Amino Acids. ... Good For Muscle Function. ... Supports Immune System.More items...
Can you eat sunflower seed microgreens?
You can eat sunflower microgreens raw or cooked. If you're cooking them, add them to the dish after you take it off the heat so that they maintain most of their crunch and crispy texture. They go great on a wide variety of dishes including soups, salads, omelettes and scrambled eggs, as well as sandwiches and wraps.
Which microgreens should not be eaten?
Microgreens are TCS Safe You eat only the leaf and stem, not the root and seed. The potential for bacteria growth is much smaller in microgreens. Microgreens are TCS safe.
What is the most nutritious sprout?
Alfalfa, as the name in Arabic signifies, is the king of all sprouts. Grown as a plant, its roots are known to burrow as much as 12 meters into the subsoil to bring up valuable trace minerals of which manganese is especially important to health and digestion ; it is a vital component of human insulin.
Are microgreens healthier than vegetables?
Because they are rich in nutrients, smaller amounts may provide similar nutritional effects than larger quantities of mature vegetables. Microgreens are four to 20 times more nutrients than mature plants.
Are microgreens a Superfood?
Scientists see microgreens as a functional food, which means that they can provide key nutrients in a practical way. Some people call them a superfood. People have long grown mustard and cress on their kitchen window ledges and in classrooms. They are fun to grow, tasty to eat, and healthful.
Are sunflower microgreens a complete protein?
Much like their other microgreen friends, sunflower shoots have an impressive nutrition profile. First of all, they are a complete plant protein. Sunflower shoots contain all of the essential amino acids as well as iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, and phosphorous.
How healthy are sunflower sprouts?
These sprouts contain a balanced supply of essential amino acids and are rich in vitamins A, D, E and the B complex, including folate. They also boast high levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. Sprouting sunflower seeds activates the powerhouse nutrition contained in the seeds at a reduced calorie count.
Which is healthier sprouts or microgreens?
The results of this study show that sprouts are effective in antioxidant capacity as a result of a high content of polyphenols and L-ascorbic acid. Additionally, sprouts are better sources of amino acids, pectins and sugars than microgreens.
Is it safe to eat sunflower sprouts?
You can eat the whole sprout including the white roots. The thick black shells can not be eaten, but should be disposed as green bio waste. It is important not to use sunflower seeds sold for birds. These are often sprayed with pesticides that the sprouts take in during the cultivation.
Health Benefits Of Sunflower Microgreens
Let’s look at sunflower microgreens benefits according to their nutritional profile:
How To Grow Sunflower Microgreens
Microgreens are easy to grow, they can thrive indoors where sunlight is available. There are three steps to growing microgreens:
Side Effects Of Eating Sunflower Microgreens
Sunflower seeds are generally safe, but experts have raised concerns over the risks of allergies and contamination.
How To Eat Sunflower Microgreens
There are many ways to use sunflower microgreens. Here are some of the most common uses:
The Bottom Line
Sunflower microgreens are a nutritious and delicious addition to your diet. They can enhance any dish you add them to, from salads and sandwiches to smoothies and soups. In addition to being flavorful, they pack a hefty dose of vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, B9 (folate), minerals including iron, potassium, and magnesium.
What are sunflower microgreens?
Microgreens are tiny plants grown from the seeds of vegetables, herbs, and legumes. They are grown in soil (or a soilless growing medium) and harvested when only 1–3 inches (2.5–7.6 centimeters) tall.
Sunflower microgreens nutrition
Sunflower microgreens provide much of your body’s daily dietary requirements and essential nutrients. These tiny greens are a good source of vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6 as well as folate. Sunnies pack in plenty of iron and protein. They contain healthy fats like omega-3s and omega-6s for brain health.
Health benefits of sunflower microgreens
Let’s take a closer look at how eating sunflower microgreens can boost your wellbeing. If you’re looking for a nutrient-dense healthy food with little calories or fat, sunflower microgreens would play a great part in a weight-loss diet.
How to grow sunflower microgreens
Sunflower microgreens are grown from sunflower seeds. Now, I know what some of you are thinking: can you use birdseed or regular sunflower seeds you find at the grocery store to grow microgreens? We don’t recommend it!
How to use sunflower microgreens
Brighten up your culinary creations with sunflower microgreens. Now that you’ve grown your own batch of fresh sunnies, here’s a few ideas on how to use them.
Related questions
Although the terms sprouts and microgreens are used often interchangeably, they’re not the same. You can grow sprouts without any soil, typically in a glass jar. Sprouts are ready to harvest sooner than microgreens. You can grow sunflower sprouts from sprouting seeds to enjoy the same nutty flavor as sunflower microgreens.
Author: Theresa Tesolin
Theresa is co-founder of RusticWise. She helps people unleash their inner DIY spirit by encouraging them to get dirty and make or grow something from scratch.
Growing Sunflower Microgreens
Growing sunflower microgreens is easy, and all you need is a clear space. Some of the requirements you will need to grow your microgreens include;
Problems With Growing Sunflower Microgreens
Just like when growing any other plants, you will encounter some problems when growing your sunflower microgreens. Some of the common issues you will run into include;
Difference Between Sunflower Microgreens And Sprouts
Many people confuse microgreens with sprouts, mainly because you harvest them after a short time. However, microgreens need soil to germinate while sprouts germinate in plain water. Sunflower microgreens also grow for longer periods and turn into true plants.
How To Eat Sunflower Microgreens
Sunflower microgreens are versatile, and you can eat both the leaves and the stem. You can eat them similarly to how you eat baby arugula, lettuce, or alfalfa sprouts. You can eat them either cooked or raw.
Nutritional Benefits Of Sunflower Microgreens
Aside from their ease of growing, many people are trying sunflower microgreens because of their nutritional benefits. One of the main nutrition benefits of sunflower seeds is that they are a great protein source for vegetarians.
Can You Eat Sunflower Microgreens Raw?
Yes! You can enjoy raw sunflower microgreens as a healthy, crunchy snack to eat on their own. Or, you can use the natural leaves as a garnish for added flavor in soups, stews, and other prepared meals.
What Can I Do With Sunflower Microgreens?
Use as a salad dressing base. While these greens are labeled “mini,” they are larger than most other microgreen kinds. This adds weight and substance to them, which can be beneficial in salads. Pea shoots go nicely with their mild, nutty flavor. Make a salad using sunflower and pea shoots as a basis and your preferred dressing on top.
What Do Sunflower Microgreens Taste Like?
Sunflower microgreens have a taste that is nutty and sweet. It’s a flavor that is somewhere between nutty and citrous but with a more robust green undertone.
When Should You Eat Sunflower Microgreens?
You can enjoy sunflower microgreens at any time of the day, and their versatility lends to an array of dishes from breakfast to dinner, brunches, and snacks.
Are Sunflower Microgreens Healthy?
Sunflower microgreens supply a significant portion of your body’s daily dietary needs and critical elements. Vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6 and folate are abundant in these small greens. Sunflower microgreens are high in iron and protein.
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Sunflower Microgreens?
Sunflower microgreens have a high calcium and iron content. They’re also high in fiber and include a variety of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A, B, C, and E. In addition, there are trace levels of zinc, copper, chromium, magnesium, and potassium.
Is It Healthier To Eat Sunflower Microgreens Or Seeds?
When compared to dried sunflower seeds, microgreens are easier to digest. Overall, they’re a healthy food that can help you increase your immunity and fight sickness.
Materials
Sunflower seeds: 1 cup covers about 100 square inches. We like these organic black oil sunflower seeds from True Leaf Market. They have conventional black oil sunflower seeds too!
Soaking
The first step of growing microgreens is to soak the seeds. This softens the hard outer shell and helps the black oil sunflower seeds germinate quickly. Because they have such a tough hull, it’s recommended to soak these seeds for 24 hours total. A minimum of 4 hours will do in a pinch, but the longer they soak the better they’ll sprout.
Planting
Before you plant, pour some water in the bottom of the growing tray and layer soil on top. The soil will absorb the water up instead of letting it soak to the bottom, where it can grow fungus. Fill the soil line just below the top of the tray, compress it slightly, and make it smooth.
Growing
Maintaining the microgreens has to be the most fun part. You won’t believe how fast they grow! Keep the lid on while the microgreen sunflower seeds are sprouting and continue to mist them twice per day.
Harvesting
Before you know it, the 2 weeks (or less) will be up and you’ll be ready to harvest! The sunflower microgreens should be 3-4 inches long with two cotyledons each. You’ll want to harvest the seedlings before their true leaves start to grow in. Otherwise, the flavor may turn bitter.
Storing
We don’t recommend you wash them until you’re about to use them, but whether or not you wash your harvest at all is up to you. If you know what you put on them and you didn’t pull up dirt when you harvested, feel free to skip the sink. Otherwise, a salad spinner gets the job done well.
What Are Microgreens And How Are They Grown?
Microgreens are not to be confused with sprouts, as they have a longer germination period and do not require full immersion in water to grow, unlike sprouts. Think of them as basically vegetable greens, they are much smaller compared to fully matured greens yet maintain a small size packed with nutrients.
Universal Methods For Growing Microgreens
All microgreens are grown using the same general methods such as soil or by the use of a hydroponic system.
Most Nutrient Microgreens
Now when you know more about what microgreens are, let us introduce you to some of the most nutritious ones you can easily grow.
Summary
Microgreens are jam-packed with nutrition and there is nothing but good coming out of growing them. Despite their small size, they often contain higher levels of nutrition than more mature vegetable greens. This makes them a healthy addition to any diet.
