One my meal prep strategies is to make the meal as healthy as possible as often as possible. Finding ways to add greens to a meal is one of my methods of getting more good stuff in my family’s diet. For years I have finished dishes with fresh herbs because of the added nutrition as well as the added flavor they bring to the party. Recently I started researching and using micro greens as a way of doing this.

Nutritionally, microgreens pack a healthy punch. Like most greens, they are high in nutrients and contain important antioxidants. They are also widely considered, like sprouts, to be a living food, which puts them in the elite category of Super Foods.

Microgreens bring personality to the flavor profile. They have a peppery bite to them that brings a mildly spicy accent to your dish. Their mustard-like heat can be further highlighted when paired with a dijon or other mustard.

Microgreens are versatile an help balance flavors. When simply added to a salad, they add depth of flavor to your greens, which can be further enhanced with a dijon vinaigrette. I also really enjoy their sharp counterpoint to richer ingredients, such as avocados, cheese, and almost any preparation of eggs. They also work well as a garnish for a variety of dishes to not only add a pop of color but some tasty nutrition to favorites like burgers, tacos, and pizzas. If you’re cooking for kids, micro greens can be a fun way of introducing bitter greens to their plates because they are tiny and oh so cute!

It is a perfect time of year to get out to your local farmers market, grab some microgreens, and start experimenting with adding them for extra flavor and nutrition to your meals.

Happy Eating!

*Microgreens were provided to Optimistic Kitchen by Aldebaran Farm for the purpose of this article.