Buzz
A typical produce section offers an abundance of leafy greens, many of which are of the 'baby' variety. But what does it mean when we refer to salad greens as being 'baby'?
Baby greens are simply young versions of their adult counterparts. Varieties like spinach, kale, and arugula are harvested at 15 to 40 days old, rather than the usual 45 to 60 days for a fully matured leaf. They're more delicate and naturally small in size.
In terms of nutrition, the general view is that baby greens are on par with their older versions. Although there are varying opinions on whether baby or mature spinach has a higher concentration of vitamins, there’s no definitive evidence supporting either claim.
With kale, the difference becomes more noticeable. The tough, bitter leaves of a fully-grown plant can be overwhelming for some, while the baby varieties offer a gentler taste and texture.
Next up is arugula, where the baby version stands out in shape. When young, arugula is oval-shaped, and only matures into its leafy form later. Every green—from romaine to oak leaf, red leaf to butter, mesclun to watercress, endive to mache—can be eaten before reaching full maturity, though these might be harder to find. When picking a bunch or bag, just go with what feels right (and skip the iceberg—you deserve more).
Baby carrots are a different story. Those perfectly sized, cute little carrots aren’t grown like that. Instead, they’re the trimmed-down versions of full-grown carrots that didn’t make the cut for sale in their natural, mature form. To complicate matters, tiny carrots do exist, but they actually look like small carrots, not re-shaped cheese puffs.
Finally, we have microgreens, the latest trend in young greens. According to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, these tiny plants—only 14 days old or younger—contain four to six times the nutrients of their older counterparts.
