High Mineral Levels in Kale Microgreens

We get lots of questions frequently about why we grow microgreens and why we eat them ourselves. For us personally, it was a way for our sensitive bodies dealing with digestive issues to easily get in nutrients that otherwise would have been impossible to get from the adult vegetable because it made our stomachs upset. When we started researching, we were surprised to find out that sometimes nutrient levels were actually higher in microgreen form than the adult form making us discover what a great addition microgreens were to our diets.

Studies have been done to find out if mineral levels fluctuate in kale from seed to its adult form. What they saw was mineral levels were at it's highest at 14-19% when it was a microgreen  and lowest when it was in adult form, with mineral levels dropping to around 3.9-6% (Waterland et al., 2017).

You might be wondering why would this matter? Well minerals are micronutrients that have many benefits like keeping tissue, bones and teeth healthy. They are important in helping to keep our bodies healthy (Awuchi, 2020).

It's important to get these micronutrients in whichever way you prefer. Obviously there are many health benefits to eating vegetables in all their forms. You might even get nutrients available if you eat kale in it's adult form that's might not be as available when it's a microgreen. That's why we always encourage diversity in our diets!

For us, the microgreens became a great alternative that seemed to work well with our personal digestion. What we like about kale microgreens is that it's so easy to add into meals (meaning honestly less food waste). We have found kale microgreens to personally be one of the most diverse microgreens to include in meals. We blend kale microgreens into our smoothies, we toss them in sandwiches, put them on top of any meat we make! It also happens to be one of our more popular microgreens that provide. If you're ever looking for meal ideas, we got you covered! We're happy to share what we have found works well for us.

Cite

Awuchi, Chinaza Godswill, Igwe, Victory Somtochukwu, Amagwula, Ikechukwu O., Echeta, Chinelo Kate. Health Benefits of Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals) and their Associated Deficiency Diseases: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Food Science. Vol.3 Issue 1. pp1-32. 2020.

Waterland, Nicole L., Youyoun Moon, Janet C. Tou, Moo Jung Kim, Eugenia M. Pena-Yewtukhiw, and Suejin Park. Mineral Content Differs among Microgreen, Baby Leaf and Adult Stages in Three Cultivars of Kale. American Society for Horticultural Science. Apr 2017. Vol52:Issue4. doi: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI11499-16