What are Microgreens?

Microgreens are essentially seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs. Though these little greens are small in stature, they contain extremely high levels of powerful vitamins, minerals, and health-supporting components.

A study led by ARS plant physiologist Gene Lester, published in the 2012 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, evaluated nutrient levels found in 25 different varieties of vegetable microgreens. What was consistent across varieties was the ability of microgreens to concentrate nutrients compared to the levels found in the same mature plants. In red cabbage, for example, researchers found microgreens contained a 6-fold higher concentration of Vitamin C and 69 times as much vitamin K as the mature vegetable.