While many diets have come in and out of style, people always seem to overlook the power of living foods. What are living foods? They are fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts, microgreens, and other foods that are consumed while actively growing or within 48 hours of harvesting.
Many people think they are consuming living foods by eating a diet full of fresh or raw fruits and vegetables, but this isn’t always the case. Produce bought from grocery stores is often harvested several days and weeks earlier before being shipped across the country or from international farms. While raw foods are great, living food is better.
By consuming fruits and vegetables while alive or within 48 hours of harvesting, you receive the maximum nutrition and benefits available through your food. Plus, you get to experience the deliciousness of fresh fruits and vegetables when they are harvested at their peak natural ripeness. Because produce is shipped great distances, it is usually harvested before fully ripening to prevent spoilage and damage before it reaches grocery store shelves. If you have a family with kids or picky eaters, increasing the amount of living foods in your diet may help them enjoy more fresh and healthy foods.
Sprouts are particularly beneficial in a living foods diet because they are actively growing. During the early stages of seedling growth, nutrient levels magnify as they are made available from the seeds' storage reserves. These levels can reach up to 40 times that of the vegetables when harvested at maturity! This boost makes sprouts a fantastic option for increasing the nutritional value of your everyday meals. Like sprouts, microgreens also offer a similar increase in nutritional value. Many people confuse microgreens for sprouts. Sprouts are simply the stage of growth from seed germination to the emergence of cotyledon leaves. When eating sprouts you are consuming the root and emerging stem.
Microgreens, on the other hand, are grown until the cotyledons mature in color or true leaves begin to develop. They are harvested by cutting the stems just above the soil level. When consuming microgreens, you are eating the stems and leaves only, not the root. The young foliage of seeds commonly grown as microgreens offers a unique burst of flavor. Both sprouts and microgreens can easily be grown in the kitchen, making them perfect for consuming a living food diet all year long. Unlike mature fruits and vegetables from the garden, sprouts and microgreens do not require a lot of space, skill, or equipment to grow. Common everyday containers can be used for a sprouting and microgreens garden. Get the whole family involved in the process! If you have young kids at home, you can also turn a plate of microgreens into a fun, interactive adventure by playing in a micro forest, growing your own “dino food,” and so much more.
If consuming living foods seems daunting, try starting with a drink a day. Wheatgrass is a superfood full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes that help boost and support a healthy lifestyle. The Journal of Food Science reports that proteins found in wheatgrass were “involved in preventing many diseases, oxidative stress, primary metabolism, storage, and energy-related mechanisms.” Not only does this living food help fuel the body, but it also heals.
Wheatgrass is grown using the same processes as microgreens with the added step of juicing. From seed to harvest, wheatgrass is ready in just 8-10 days. Just be sure to use a wheatgrass juicer that separates the grassy material from the juice. An ounce a day is recommended to really benefit from its healing traits, however it does have a very strong flavor. To help tame it, mix the freshly pressed juice into a smoothie or combine it with a sweeter natural fruit juice. Enjoy the journey of planting, growing, harvesting, and juicing together as a family.
Aside from fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts, and microgreens, there are other foods that also produce living food benefits. These include fermented foods that are full of beneficial microbes called probiotics. These are beneficial bacteria that support gut health and aid digestion. Common fermented foods include kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, yogurt, miso, cheese, and sourdough.
As a fun, family-centered activity for the cool fall season, try making your own kimchi and sauerkraut. These can easily be made with a fermenting kit that includes a mason jar, fermenting lid, and a pickling helix or weight. Simply combine your prepared vegetables into the jar, add a brine until they are covered, then ensure they stay submerged by pressing a pickling helix or weight on top and closing it off with a fermentation lid. Fermenting lids have a valve that prevents too much pressure from building up from the gases released through microbial activity.
Consuming living foods is more than a healthy trend, it restores vitality and improves healing. We live in an age of medical miracles and incredible technological advances, but one of the greatest healers and defenders of our health is the food we eat. Consume better to feel better with fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts, microgreens, wheatgrass, and homemade fermented foods. Learn more: www.trueleafmarket.com.
About the Author: Ashleigh Smith is the Managing Editor at True Leaf Market with a bachelor's degree in Horticulture from Brigham Young University - Idaho. True Leaf Market is a nationally certified organic, non-GMO seed and horticultural company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The True Leaf Market staff specializes in supplying a large selection of conventional, heirloom, and organic seeds to home gardeners everywhere. Learn more about our sprouts, microgreens, supplies, and other seeds and growing ideas: www.trueleafmarket.com. Photos courtesy of True Leaf Market
All articles are copyrighted and remain the property of the author.
By Laura Root
Photos courtesy of Jackson & Perkins
Gardeners are always thinking ahead to the next season or the next year. And, fall is the ideal time to think about spring. Flowering shrubs, perennials and spring bulbs are great choices.
Click here for an interesting article about spring bulbs.
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