Microgreens: An Even Healthier Form of Vegetables?

Photo from Morguefile

I'm always on the lookout for nutrition advice and compelling stats. When I ran across the latest post from National Public Radio's food blog, the SALT, I was captivated.

Greenhouse growers are creating nutrient-dense leafy vegetables dubbed "microgreens". Imagine alfalfa sprout-looking versions of herbs, lettuces, cabbages, peas, beets and even radishes. Supposedly the two-week old microgreens can contain up to four to six times the nutrients of their mature, adult counterparts. Wow!

I think these tender greens sound like the perfect way to top a robust salad or add some greens to a sandwich. Have you ever heard of or tried microgreens? I know I'll be watching my local farmer's market and grocery stores for these vitamin-packed veggies.

Check out NPR's article, "Introducing Microgreens: Younger, And Maybe More Nutritious, Vegetables" for more details.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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The Farmer's Market is Open!

Freshly washed butter crunch lettuce. Photo by Angela Tague.

Have you ever shopped in a store where every display seemed to call your name?

Handcrafted beeswax lip balm? Yes, please!
Spinach speckled with local soil? Bring it on!
Glistening jars of crimson berry jams. Yum!

Our local farmer's market opened this morning, which means I can barely get this written between taking bites of my locally grown lunch. Heck, my editors are lucky the market isn't open all day, or I may have missed a few deadlines today!

Since it's early in the season, our local market was plentiful with fresh spring greens, radishes, rhubarb and asparagus.

But, the true find of the day was a head of butter crunch lettuce. The velvety texture, mild flavor and pale color truly means summer is just around the corner. Since this is one of the first lettuces of the season to grow in the midwest, it's always an early garden-season treat.

Is your farmer's market open for business? What local whole foods are you enjoying?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living