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How Many Microgreens Should I Eat Per Day? Important Facts!

Before answering your question, let me introduce you to microgreens first. As its name suggests, microgreens are micro, tiny seeding of green vegetables and herbs that are harvested when they are just a few days or weeks old.

The seeds are packed with nutrition, various vitamins, and flavors. You may have seen them but did not realize what it was. You may have seen tiny green garnishing on your meals served at many restaurants that make meals look more appealing and enhance their flavor. Those are microgreens that are used to make dishes sweet or spicy but they are also used to give colors to a meal. But as tempting as this seems, you may wonder what the correct amount of microgreens we should eat is per day.

While microgreens are considered super-rich food, you cannot eat them excessively. The reason is not just about health. It is also about appetite. Microgreens are eaten just like any other vegetable.

Though they are being used since the 80s, previously, there were few microgreens known publicly that included cilantro, basil, and beets. But with its rising popularity, there are a variety of microgreens being harvested now. You can also find a variety of salads made from microgreens.

To find out more about their growth, benefits, right ways to wash and store them, and proper ways to take their full health advantages, go through the next paragraphs.

Can You Eat Too Many Microgreens?


Though they are 40 times more power-packed, nutrition-packed, and possess intense flavors because of their tiny size, it would be an exaggeration to say we can eat them too much at the same time. Another reason for not eating excess microgreens is, though there are not any direct disadvantages of eating them, there is always a chance of food poisoning and pathogens carrying vegetables.

As microgreens have a very little shelf life, they speedily wilt and decay. Therefore, research is being carried out to explore conditions in which we can keep them fresh and edible for longer periods. But like any other vegetable, beware of eating too many microgreens. As there are some minerals, vitamins, and nutrients that have a limited daily dose.

Eating too much of them can lead you to have diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning, or even just bloating due to gas in the stomach. Let me take you to the next paragraph for more knowledge and precautions about using microgreens in the right amounts.

Microgreens 12

Can Microgreens Make You Sick?

If microgreens are grown in proper conditions, raw or cooked, they cannot make you sick. It is the factors like growing conditions, quality of seeds sown, and rough or bad way of handling or packaging them after harvesting that make them bad for eating.

Microgreens that are not handled or processed properly after harvesting can carry pathogens and bacteria that can make you sick. Salmonella, a bacteria born through room temperature water in plants can also be present in microgreens that appear to be fresh and you just bought from the hygienic, clean, and plant-friendly supermarket.

To avoid any diseases that greens can carry and to avoid the expensive varieties that are sold at supermarkets these days, there is a safe way to have them at home. You can grow them in your own home safely.

All you need is a little space, proper supplies, and windows that allow enough sun rays to come in. You also need to check the seeds if they are fresh and healthy. From sowing to harvesting them and taking them to your kitchen, these tiny leaves need delicate handling for them to provide you with complete, harm-free nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

Trust me, you can only get its complete health benefits if you give them the delicate, gentle, and careful treatment they need. But can you eat them raw just after harvesting?

Should You Wash Microgreens?

Just like any other vegetable, microgreens are also required to be washed correctly. They are living beings and just like other living beings, there are yeast and bacteria in the air messing with them all the time.

So, it is safe to wash them like any other produce. Because they are tiny, you may find it hard to wash them.

Gently take them out of the packet and separate them into small sections. Place a section on your hand and pass it under cool tap water thoroughly. Move around your hand so that no dust remains on the seeding. Repeat the process for every section. Remember the water should be gentle and cool, not too cold. It is necessary to dry them before eating.

You can simply dry them by spreading them on any newspaper or tissue paper. Another way of washing and drying them is microgreen trays that are easily available in markets these days. Or you can also use salad dryers or salad spinners to dry them.

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Microgreen on paper towel

Always remember to never put wet microgreens in your refrigerator. They will quickly wilt and get stinky. To make sure they are still dry in your fridge, you can put them in any paper, paper towel, or napkin and place them in zip-lock plastic bags. This way, the normal shelf life of microgreens is 10-12 days and can be extended to 15 days and you can always enjoy and get its full benefits all day.

Additional benefits of microgreens include their anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemia, and anti-bacterial properties.

I hope you benefit from all the information given above and always come back here for more answers.

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