By Yamit Behar Wood

Have you noticed that the fancier the restaurant, the larger the plates and the smaller the food? In recent years, if the lighting is subtle and there is a white tablecloth, you’re sure to find a garnish of tiny baby plants atop at least one of your courses. And unlike many restaurant trends—foams and brussels sprouts, your time has passed—the microgreen craze of recent years turns out to be a really good thing.

Microgreens and herbs are essentially 7- to 10-day-old versions of leafy greens and vegetables that have been recognized as up to 40 times more nutritious and denser in vitamins and minerals than their more mature versions. Numerous studies have shown that microgreens pack a hefty nutritional punch of vitamins such as C, E, K and even lutein and beta-carotene, two antioxidants that are thought to stave off macular degeneration.