What are Microgreens?

Microgreens are a miniature version of vegetables. All vegetables go through a microgreen stage. Once a seed is sowed, the first product bursting through the soil is a pair of cotyledon leaves (the first leaves to appear on a seedling that is not considered the true leaves.) Before the true leaves appear, or just after the true leaves begin to show, the seedling is considered a microgreen — This is the stage between a sprout and a baby green.

Microgreens offer intense flavors and vibrant color, all in small packaging, making them easy to enjoy

Newly discovered, microgreens are densely-packed with nutrients the grown counterpart vegetable offers.

Nutrition Breakdown

Microgreens are often up to four to 40 times more nutrient than their adult counterparts — classifying them as a nutrient-dense food. A single serving is more nutritious than what a serving of the full-grown vegetable would offer.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What determines microgreens nutrient density?

A: Many contributing factors play a role in the amount of nutrients in microgreens. Vegetables use energy from the seed in order to begin the growing process — especially before the root establishes. Microgreens are the result of the first boost of energy created by the seed, containing most of the nutrients the seed has to offer in order for the plant to grow. By the time microgreens are harvested, they have produced a strong system of roots that begin to uptake additional nutrients from the soil and water. The nutrients present in the soil and water provide an additional boost to the nutrient content of a microgreen. Additionally, the amount of light a microgreen is exposed to aids in the growing process and the ability for the microgreen to uptake more nutrients from both the planting medium and light. Not all nutrients in a microgreen are necessarily higher than an adult counterpart as well — there are some nutrients that have more time to mature and developed as a plant grows — it is just more common that most nutrients are more densely-present in microgreens.

Q: How do I eat microgreens?

A: Many ways! Commonly, microgreens can be eaten in salads, or just themselves can form a tasty salad. Microgreens are also great as toppings on pizza, pasta, and meat dishes. Sandwiches are another great place to sneak in microgreens. Anywhere you would use lettuce or other greens would be a suitable place for microgreens. Visit our “Inspiration” page or Instagram @mulinomicrogreens to see more ways how you can incorporate microgreens into your diet!