Micro greens are in the top ten of healthy food, and even better, you can grow your own at home, and you don't need a garden, any simple containers will do. Micro greens are simply various types of young plants that are harvested when very young and small. Several different names have been used recently for these such as micro greens, microveg, microherbs, baby salad, and baby leaves. I'll stick with the more usual micro greens, although it can be given as a single word rather than two.

They are germinated, grown and then variously used from as little as 5 days old up to as much as 6 weeks, depending on what you want them for and your personal preference.

You've heard about sprouting seed, and they aren't exactly a favourite of most people.

Well these are a bit different, as only the shoots and leaves are used whereas in sprouting seeds you normally use the entire plant including the root and they are only harvested up to a few days after germination.

Harvesting just the leaves / shoots provides you with enhanced and more intense flavors, and sometimes a different taste to the mature plants plus all the good stuff. You can use the obvious plants such as the various salad leaves, lettuce types and kale for instance, but a surprising number of other vegetables lend themselves to this cropping system, especially carrots, beetroot, peas, beans and many of the oriental vegetables that are now readily available.

They are also very good for you being low in calories and stuffed full of good bits. They would actually rate in the top ten of superfoods but just aren't generally known as everyday food, but they are offered in many top restaurants.

Micro greens came into prominence some years ago and became part of top menus in the smart restaurants particularly in California, New York and London where they are currently undergoing a revival and have become a classic addition to meals.

Micro greens are expensive to buy but are surprisingly easy to grow at home and at a reasonable cost, certainly cheaper than buying from the specialist suppliers around or the supermarkets. Supermarket prices for the various micro greens are currently around £1.20 to £1.60 per pre-pack bag. That's for 100g so it works out at £12.00 or more per kilo! But you can grow them for at least half this and considerably less with some thought.

The revival has spread now with micro greens appearing in magazines and TV programs for cooking and gardening. They are undergoing resurgence also in view of their dietary and health benefits (especially when they can be home grown). More advantages include the facts that micro greens can be grown at home in containers, they don't need much space, just a windowsill can be enough.

This is only a brief account of microgreens, if it has whetted your appetite (!) then more detailed information can be found at the How to grow my own website. The direct link for the appropriate page is in the resource box.

[http://www.howtogrowmyown.com/index.php?pr=Micro_Greens]

Parents constantly make every effort to give their kids the best start early in life. Their goal is to provide them with the nutrition they need to grow healthy and strong. However, kids just want what tastes good in their palates. Nutrition is not in their vocabulary yet, which is why most parents are in constant "battle" with their kids to make them eat the organic healthy foods parents believe are good for them.

Organic foodsare in general healthier and more nutritious than non-organic foods. Nutritional research reveals that, on average, organic food has higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals. And according to Welsh research, organic milk has 64% more omega 3 fatty acids (FAs), most behavioral problems in children being alleviated when parents switch to organic milk, and that organic milk (compared to non-organic milk) may help lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's.

So this leaves us with the question, what are the some organic healthy foods for kids?

First, take the food for health food pyramid as your guide. All the types of healthy foods you want to give your children are there. When you go to the organic food section in the grocery store, you will notice that some of these items are labeled organic and non-organic. In order for you to know you are truly buying organic foods, look for the USDA Organic seal. This seal certifies that the food product is at least 95% organic and that the farm where the organic food is cultivated or raised has been inspected by a USDA staff to ensure that the state organic rules are strictly followed.

The second most important thing to be aware of is the look and feel of the organic foods you are buying! Here are a few tips to help you choose the right organic healthy foods for your children:

A dead give away is the difference in color and texture of fruits and vegetables. It is natural for organic fruits and vegetables to not appear as colorful as inorganic ones. Many chemicals and artificial processes are used to make non-organic fruits and vegetables in the grocery store look extremely vibrant. Another way to ensure you're giving the right organic healthy foods to your kids, check that all organic fruits and vegetables are firm and free from blemishes and bruises.

Also ensure that organic milk is not as white and creamy as inorganic milk and is packaged in bottles or UTC cartons. Fish should be in its natural form, with fins and scales, and harvested from mercury-free environments.

Give your children fresh fruits for snacks and more vegetables in their meals. If possible, serve as little meat and animal food dishes. Remember, organic healthy food is best. Start encouraging them to eat more raw food, because cooking and most food processing methods destroy more than half of the nutrition in food.

To learn more about choosing healthy foods for kids, please check out the food recommendations at http://www.foodforyourhealing.com/