What are microgreens?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - You have probably heard the term ‘superfood’ in the last few years as people gravitate toward more health conscious ingredients. Microgreens are a superfood and can be a great way to get your vitamins for the day.

You can grow microgreens yourself, and they are a great way to get those fresh veggies into your diet.

“It could be a hallelujah moment,” said Shena Coley Clark, who grows microgreens in Shelby County. And there’s nothing like a hallelujah moment when it comes to food, especially vegetables, which can be hard to get your family to eat.

“You can disguise them in your food,” Shena explained.

“They are regular vegetables, you just plant them very, very dense. So that they look like what you have in the back. And every bit of the nutrition in the plant is in one microgreen.”

Microgreens are full of nutrients. They can contain up to 40x vitamins compared to the fully mature veggie, and they take a fraction of the time to grow.

She found out about growing microgreens on TikTok of all places, and says she hopes more people in Alabama can learn about the useful growing method.

“I’ve always been a grower. I’ve always had a garden. I’ve taught my children how to grow. And I’ve always had plans and things like that,” she said.

She perfected her method in the last year, a practice she says anyone can do. She explained the method, which she has laid out in instructions for a kit she plans to sell soon.

“I grow them in large trays like this. But if you’re growing for yourself, you can grow them in small trays like this...You place them on top of each other, and you put your medium, which you can grow hydroponically with just water or you can grow I grow mine in in cocoa core...Then you would put your dart smasher down, spread your seeds, and smash them down, and you put a weight on them. You let them sit for four days, and you water them. In four days, they start pushing the weight and there’s growing out the sides of the container. So then you just take your weight off, and you put them under your light,” she said.

The greens should be ready to be picked and eaten. It is recommended to eat them raw to keep the nutrients and enzymes in the plant.

She says the reason they aren’t in grocery stores often is because of their short shelf life and price.

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