Inclusion minimal convex bodies $K$ with the property that the integer translates of $K$ cover the space are studied. Such bodies are referred to as minimal covering bodies and it is shown that, while they are not necessarily tiles, they are polytopes with at least $2d$ facets, if $d$ is the dimension of $K$. Moreover, minimal covering bodies are related to covering properties of Minkowski combinations of convex bodies. Two sharp Brunn Minkowski type inequalities are established for the covering radius of the Minkowski sum of planar convex bodies.