“Microgreens” are tender young plants grown from the seed of certain herb, vegetable, and grain crops that can be clipped at the stem and eaten fresh within 2 weeks of germinating.
Some chefs have touted the taste, texture, color, and delicate appearance of microgreens, adding them to soups, salads, sandwiches, and main dishes. Microgreens can also contain more nutrients than full-grown plants. Red cabbage microgreens, in particular, have garnered attention for their potential to help protect against chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death in the United States.
“Although microgreens, such as those from red cabbage, have been reported to possess more nutrients [than mature plants] and are perceived to be ‘healthier,’ no known study has been conducted to evaluate whether consumption reduces cardiovascular disease risk factors,” according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemist Thomas Wang and his co-authors in the December 2016 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
