Sprouts Are One of the Healthiest Foods To Eat

 What Are Sprouts?

Sprouts are tiny, germinated plants that have begun to grow from the seeds of vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. The germination process usually starts with soaking the seeds for several hours. Over time, shoots will start to grow out of the seeds. They can grow for two to seven days and typically measure up to two (or more) inches long when ready to eat.

Types of Sprouts

Sprouts can come from many plants. Some of the most commonly found ones include those made from:

• Nuts and seeds, such as almond, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds
• Beans and peas, such as lentils, chickpeas, azuki beans, mung beans, kidney beans, and green peas
• Grains, such as quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and brown rice
• Vegetables, such as broccoli, clover, radish, alfalfa, and mustard greens

 

Benefits of Sprouts

• May improve digestion – fiber is an important part of our daily diet. Sprouts are a wonderful source of fiber and may help improve overall digestion.

 

• May Improve hangover symptoms – Snacking on some raw sprouts may help you feel better. Sulforaphane also helps the body eliminate alcohol by-products that cause unpleasant hangover symptoms.

 

• May help liver function and have anti-cancer properties- The sulforaphane      content of certain sprouts, like broccoli sprouts, may also improve the health of your liver and cells. broccoli sprouts may help protect the body against cancer by reducing the spread of cancerous cells and supporting the body to eliminate harmful substances.

 

• May strengthen the immune system – Sprouts are an especially good source of vitamins C and K, both of which protect the immune system.

 

• May improve insulin resistance – during a study, patients with type 2 diabetes who consumed broccoli sprouts, or a placebo found that those who ate sprouts had improvement in insulin resistance.

 

Growing Your Own Sprouts

Growing sprouts can be easy and fun.  I love sprouting lentils as they are the easiest to grow. I just take ½ cup of lentils and soak overnight. (you can use more if for more than 1-2 people) I then drain them the next morning and put in a glass jar with no cover or a mesh cover and leave overnight. Depending on the weather, you should see them sprout from 1-3 days.  Rinse daily and keep in fridge. But use within 7 days. They are great in salads and in mixed in grain dishes.  They have lot’s of protein and vitamins.

 

For a bit more of a challenge, I also enjoy growing sunflower seed sprouts.  These are not the regular sunflower seeds.  You will need to purchase the black sunflower seeds in the shell and best to grow in good organic soil. The taste is nutty and wonderful in salads, sandwiches and more.

 

Getting a sprouting jar is a great way to start.  I also plan to sprout broccoli seeds.  They are the healthiest of all.

Have fun growing a variety of sprouts with your family.  Which type of sprout is your favorite?