Should I be eating microgreens?

If you’re unfamiliar, microgreens are veg plucked from the soil before they reach maturity, which is when plants more commonly land on your plate. As for their nutritional profile, they punch well above their weight. ‘Studies show that microgreens have more concentrated amounts of minerals, vitamin K and plant bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, the compound that gives orange/yellow veg its colour,’ explains Carrie Ruxton, dietitian and founder of Ruxton Fitness (ruxtonfitness. co.uk). Broccoli, beetroot and peas are particularly potent microgreens; the nutritional quality can be twice as high as in mature plants. But this potency comes at a higher financial cost, adds Dr Ruxton, so it depends on your budget. More important than the growth stage of the veg you eat is how much and what kind; in addition to consuming five 80g portions per day, dietitians recommend that you shoot for 30 different types per week. How, you ask? See p37.