Microgreens: Benefits and Harms

Microgreens: what crops to grow, their benefits and harms

Microgreen is not only a fashion but also a beneficial product! Tender young seedlings contain more vitamins and important elements for the human body than vegetables themselves.

You will be able to delight yourself and your family with fresh sprouts, regardless of the season. By adding a whole bunch of sprouts to a salad or a sandwich, you will give them not only a restaurant look and unusual taste but also additional benefits. Also, this herb is becoming very popular worldwide, and growing it is a very successful business.

What seeds to choose for growing microgreen

Almost all crops are grown as a microgreen: cereals, legumes, and vegetables.

To grow microgreens, only environmentally friendly seeds are used, those that have not been previously pickled or were collected with their own hands.

The taste of microgreen is also very different. Green sprouts taste like the fruit of an adult plant but are more delicate and aromatic. For lovers of piquancy, the following are suitable: mustard, onion, cilantro, and radish. And those who love sweets should pay attention to sunflower, corn, amaranth, and peas. 

What crops can be grown for microgreens

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the list of the most common crops that are grown as a microgreen.

Amaranth
Greens with pink leaves, which have a delicate taste with a nutty aftertaste. Amaranth microgreens are rich in vitamins. Great for making healthy smoothies.

Basil
It contains carotene, ascorbic acid, B vitamins, and essential oils. It has a good effect on the functioning of the digestive system. Perfect with all dishes, it is an excellent addition to salted cottage cheese and omelet.

Peas
The taste of microgreen is slightly sweet, has a nutty tint, and resembles young green peas. Young stems with leaves and tendrils are eaten. The benefits of pea microgreens are that they contain fiber, protein, complex carbons. Thanks to its crispy texture, it goes well with fresh vegetables and is an excellent garnish for vegetable soups.

Mustard
Greens with a spicy, pungent taste. Suitable for fish dishes and salads. A mustard microgreen is useful because it has a beneficial effect on the state of blood vessels and improves appetite and blood circulation.

Green buckwheat
It is one of the most popular crops for germination among growers. It is able to boost immunity, improve the digestive tract, and replenish the body with nutrient reserves. It is added to vegetable cocktails, salads, and even vegetarian cottage cheese is made from buckwheat.

Red cabbage
Its delicate red sprouts taste like cabbage itself. This type contains several times more carotene and vitamin C than white cabbage. Sprouts are beneficial for digestion and help to stimulate the immune system. It goes well with any salads.

Savoy cabbage
It is a valuable dietary product. Young sprouts of this cabbage are high in antioxidants and other beneficial properties. It has a mild taste and smell. It is used in salads, soups, and sandwiches. Microgreens are an excellent garnish for meat or a light side dish.

Kale
Like other types of cabbage, it is incredibly healthy. Kale sprouts contain precious vitamins and minerals in huge quantities. It is used in salads and cocktails, without heat treatment. The flavor of kale sprouts goes well with fresh vegetables and herbs.

Bok-choy
This is a type of Chinese cabbage. Sprouts are several times more useful than an adult plant. To get the most out of them, they should be eaten fresh in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, stews, sandwiches, or as a garnish for meat and fish dishes.

Kohlrabi
This cabbage is called "northern lemon" due to its high vitamin C content. These are very beautiful seedlings: a purple stem and green leaves. Therefore, they are trendy in restaurants. The aroma is similar to turnip but slightly softer, and the taste is sweetish. They are combined with meat and vegetarian dishes.

Broccoli
It is an excellent remedy with healing and anticancer properties. Sprouts are crispy with a mild flavor and light bitterness. Broccoli microgreens go well with vegetable salads, soups, and as a side dish with meat or fish.

Chervil
A fragrant plant that is grown not only for culinary but also for medicinal purposes. Microgreen chervil is endowed with a spicy flavor and aniseed aroma. It perfectly complements sauces, soups, egg, potato, fish, and poultry dishes.

Coriander (cilantro)
A culture with a pronounced spicy taste and smell of spices. It is an excellent addition to meat dishes, especially grilled ones. It is very useful for the work of the heart and blood vessels. It contains a lot of vitamins, as well as phosphorus and potassium.

Watercress
Microgreens with a specific odor and a sharp mustard bite. A good addition to a side dish, sauce, and salad. It grows very quickly (5 days after sowing). Watercress microgreens are rich in carotene, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium. It improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, helps to establish sleep, and normalizes blood pressure.

Flax
Microgreen has a neutral taste with a light nutty aftertaste. Sprouted seeds are used to maintain health, youth, and beauty, as well as to reduce weight. Flax microgreens are beneficial because they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are especially beneficial for children and women.

Leek
They are thin, dark green leaves with a delicate aroma and sweetish flavor without zest. Microgreen contains many antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, so it is an indispensable component of a healthy diet. Leeks are used to decorate dishes and add flavor to them. Ideal for first courses, meats, and gravies.

Chard
These are raspberry-red stems and bright green leaves with a sweetish flavor. Due to its appearance, it is one of the leaders among the decoration of restaurant dishes. Regular consumption of chard improves the functioning of the nervous and digestive systems, strengthens blood vessels' walls, and strengthens hair, nails, and teeth.

Chickpea
Microgreens "lamb peas" is an excellent prevention of colds, helps to reduce weight and lower blood cholesterol levels. The sprouts taste like a young nut that children love. It is used as a separate dish or added to salads.

Sunflower
Crispy and juicy microgreen, with the taste of sunflower seeds. Sunflower microgreens are very useful since they contain iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and vitamins E and K, folic acid. It helps fight joint pain and is beneficial for normalizing acid-base balance. Served with meat and vegetable dishes.

Radish
Microgreens are slightly crispy and pungent in taste, similar to the root vegetable itself. An ideal seasoning for salads and meat dishes. Radish microgreens are useful for improving the digestion of food due to the fact that it contains minerals, trace elements, and essential oils.

Beet
Juicy red sprouts with dark green leaves will be an excellent decoration for first courses, salads, or sandwiches. They are slightly sweet in taste, reminiscent of beetroot. Beet microgreens are useful because they have a tonic effect on the body and strengthen the immune system.

Celery
Its microgreens contain more calcium, potassium, and vitamin C than celery stalks and roots. Young sprouts have a salty-sweet, tangy taste. They are ideal for vinaigrette, sandwiches, first courses, stews, adding a little spiciness to them.

Leaf salad
A wonderful element of a healthy diet or diet. The taste of young leaves is more delicate and juicy, in contrast to an adult plant. Lettuce microgreens work well for sandwiches, vegetable smoothies, and fish.

Fennel
Microgreen, which has a much greater amount of nutrients than mature plants. Its stems are well suited to meat, fish and serve as the main component of soups. The systematic use of seedlings improves the state of the nervous system, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and helps to reduce cholesterol.

Lentils
Delicious legumes with a unique composition of trace elements (magnesium, iron, etc.). It stimulates blood circulation and cleanses the walls of blood vessels. Suitable for hot and cold dishes.

Sorrel
Delicate leaves with a sour taste that resembles a lemon. Microgreens are rich in minerals and vitamins. Perfectly tones the body. It goes well with egg dishes, cheese, salads, and sauces.

Spinach
Microgreen with delicate taste and spicy aroma. It contains fats, proteins, iron, and vitamins. Normalizes blood circulation, lowers cholesterol, removes toxins from the body. It is a good addition to vegetable side dishes, salads, and meat gravies.


Harm of microgreens

Microgreens are a very useful product, but still, there are some contraindications in its use. When choosing a crop for cultivation, one must consider personal intolerance or a tendency to allergies to certain foods. For example, parsley and spinach sprouts contain a lot of essential oils and flavonoids, which can cause skin rashes in allergy sufferers.

If you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, you should not eat plants that can cause bloating (peas, chickpeas, cabbage) or acidity (sorrel, onions, mustard).

Fortunately, a huge range of crops are grown as microgreens, and everyone can choose the type and taste that suit them best!