Anti-Cancer Foods: Broccoli Microgreens, Baby Green Warriors

My family and I have been eating broccoli microgreens for more than 4 years. Microgreens are the main source of greens for us during the winter months and broccoli shoots are one of my favorites. My body craves them.

To grow, I spread the broccoli seeds over a blend of organic soil, cover for a few days and then place under lights for 5-10 days. I then harvest at the cotyledon leaf stage. Until recently, commercially grown microgreens have only been available to chefs, who use them as flavor accents and garnishes for soups, salads, and sandwiches. Today, they are available at most farmers markets and upscale grocery stores (like the Wandering Market)

I’m sure I could write several pages listing all the health benefits of these little gems but I’ll just touch on a few of the highlights today. Microgreens Have Up to 40 times more Vital Nutrients than mature plants*. Sprouts and microgreens have the highest concentration of nutrients per calorie of any food. They are the richest sources of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, chlorophyll and protein, and provide us with substantially greater health benefits than just raw fruits and vegetables. Microgreens deliver nutrients that are important for eyes, skin, bones, healthy digestion, reducing inflammation, preventing cardiovascular disease, fighting cancer, and strengthening the immune system.

They’re delicious raw. In the case of cruciferous plants, that’s a big bonus because the enzymes that produce certain cancer-fighting compounds are destroyed with too much heat

Here is a delicious recipe for you to try:

Broccoli Microgreens Salad with Kimchi, Avocado, and Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 cup broccoli microgreens

• ½ cup kimchi

• ¼ avocado, sliced into small pieces

• 1 Tbsp salted sunflower seeds

• 2 Tbsp a simple homemade vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil tastes great)

• 2 Tbsp Hummus

Instructions

1. Put microgreens onto a large plate and top with kimchi, avocado slices, sunflower seeds.

2. Drizzle with dressing and top with hummus and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!

*Results of studies done by researcher Qin Wang, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland in College Park. The results are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.