Edible Paradise

RECIPES:   Microgreens with Curry Vinaigrette, New Native's Bean Dip, Spicy Asian Pea Shoot Stir-Fry, and Seared Ahi and Microgreens Salad with Lemon Infused Daikon Red Onion Slaw, Stacked Beet, Avocado, and Mixed Microgreens Salad

Here's an easy way to improve your diet – add microgreens.

Ounce for ounce, microgreens provide more nutrients than any other natural food known. Microgreens are seedlings (young plants) between seven and ten days old that have sprouted from seed, but don't yet have true leaves.

These super-food seedlings are naturally high in quality protein, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes, and anti-oxidants, and have few calories and no cholesterol.

We are fortunate to have New Natives at the Aptos Farmers Market year-round, selling a wide variety of organic microgreens – a true living food.

Unlike processed or cooked foods, microgreens contain living cells. The nutritional value of the concentrated nutrients stored in the seed increase dramatically during germination. Studies have shown that nutrients can increase up to 400%! Microgreens are easy to digest because they are almost “pre-digested” by the sprouting process, which deactivates enzyme inhibitors, changing carbohydrates into simple sugars and proteins into free amino acids and peptones. These pre-digested foods rich in activated enzymes enhance the body's own internal enzyme activity. By converting the starches and proteins, a higher quality protein source develops. Microgreens are a rich source of chlorophyll, amino acids, and proteins, all of which help regenerate cells and boost immunity.

Not Just for Salads

Give microgreens a try – they are easy to use; simply add to salads and sandwiches, eat as a snack, or use them in tasty recipes from New Natives. In addition to nutrition, they will add marvelous flavors, textures and colors to your diet this year.

See also:  How to Grow Sprouts and Microgreens