You may have already heard of all the typical health benefits associated with vegetables. Luckily, you’ll be able to find seedlings that are not only healthy but also a real treat for your taste buds! What’s more, you can plant a significant portion of these seedlings outdoors!
Most of those seedlings may not fill your stomach in one sitting, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to enjoy them as seasoning or spices for your favorite recipes.
Seedlings (also called “sprouts”) are germinated seeds that have not grown into fully-adult plants. Most of these sprouts develop in a very brief timescale, so you can avail yourself of them almost immediately after planting them. However, keep a close eye on their shelf life!
Without further ado, let’s begin with our first pick:
Cilantro (also known as coriander) is not the most accessible fragrant herb to grow. It needs an awful lot of shade, and maintenance could be a bit of a pain. Nevertheless, it can grow year-round under the right conditions (mild climates mainly).
What’s more, cilantro has a chock-full of vitamin C and vitamin A, as well as superb blood sugar management properties.
Its herbal-citrus flavor makes it an unskippable feature in most soups and stews, as well as your good-old tacos and tortillas.
Broccoli has a relatively long 7-week first-harvest window, and while it grows across several seasons, it’s particularly intolerant to hot summer days.
One of the broccoli’s coolest perks is its ability to be eaten as a standalone dish. It also comes with lots of nutritional content such as vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, iron, and calcium. Keep an eye out for that broccoli gas, though. We strongly advise that you boil it first!
An all-time favorite for Mediterranean (specifically Italian) cuisine lovers, oregano is a virtually year-round harvest that takes roughly a whole week to germinate, meaning you can almost have a guaranteed supply of these herbal delicacies before you can even say the word “trattoria.”
You can likewise dry and store it very easily, prolonging its lifespan for years. This spicy sprout is also a terrific source of antioxidants, so don’t skimp on adding generous amounts to your pizzas and pasta!
Parsley is regarded as an absolute must in virtually every salty recipe. It can take a whole month before parsley seeds germinate, but once they start to blossom, you have a continual supply of parsley for the whole year and beyond.
The health benefits of parsley are too numerous to count. Still, among its highlights, we can mention its elevated potassium content per calorie and a decent dose of vitamin K, which is perfect for blood clotting.
Baby lettuce mix is a staple in most salads, blending a plethora of contrasting flavors. In a way, it’s its own salad recipe!
With barely two weeks’ harvest time and easy farmstand placement, this beta-carotene-rich plant is a remarkably lenient food source you can grow year-long in your outdoor garden, with highly versatile culinary uses to boot!
Cutting celery is a strong-flavored aromatic herb suitable for all sorts of meals, from stews to chicken salads. The stingy fibers are toned down in this milder version of the original celery, with virtually all the same health benefits. It does have a steep harvest time, so manage your expectations.
One bite out of these tomatoes can be one of the most explosive culinary experiences ever. It also contains just as much dietary value as juice, including a generous amount of beta-carotene, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium.
Before planting, be mindful that it takes almost two months to harvest and can only grow during the spring and summer seasons. It’s not exactly the most merciful veggie to grow, but it’s surely worth the time and effort!
Known for its sharp stingy peppery taste, Astro is an incredibly tame plant to grow, and it’s also surprisingly versatile, all things considered. An arugula salad with shaved parmesan is _definitely not _something you’d want to miss!
Astro’s astronomical (pun intended) health benefits are hard to overstate. For individuals wishing to fight cancer and osteoporosis with every fiber of their being, Astro is probably one of their best allies!