Not to be confused with sprouts, microgreens look like "vegetable confetti" just waiting to be eaten!

What Are Microgreens?

Microgreens are edible immature greens and you eat all parts of it -- root, seed and shoot. If you grow your own microgreens, they're harvested with scissors less than a month after germination, when the plants are up to 2 inches tall.

Why Are Microgreens Healthy?

Microgreens pack a powerful punch, with some types providing up to 40 times the nutrient power of their mature counterparts.

Microgreens and Heart Health

New research suggests microgreens could play a significant role in fighting heart disease and high cholesterol. Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) randomly assigned 60 obese lab mice to one of six diets ranging in fat content and supplemented them with either red cabbage microgreens and mature red cabbage. Two control groups were given no cabbage.

Despite consuming a high-fat diet, the microgreen-eating mice had reduced circulating levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol. A bonus benefit was a reduction in triglyceride levels, the tye of fat that increases heart disease risk. While the results are promising, further studies on humans are the next step. Compared to mature microgreens, the mini version is richer in vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K. 

For a burst of nutrients, add red cabbage microgreens to your salads, sandwiches and omelettes along with other colorful veggies.

article courtesy of clean eating