We love adding sprouts to our salads, on sandwiches, baked potatoes, soups, and of course in many of our favorite asian dishes like phở or fěn, egg rolls, stir fry, and as a garnish. Cafe Zupas even adds them to some of their sandwiches. Sprouts are an important food for raw foodists and for good reason, sprouts have the highest concentration of nutrition per calorie of any food, and some even contain natural cancer fighting compounds. Who knew such a delicate and small plant could do such big things? Jack knew what he was doing when he traded that cow for those few magic beans.
keep reading to learn more about sprouts.
You just might want to stop by your closest natural foods market and pick up a handful on your way home tonight.
- sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods that exist.
- the chinese have been growing and using sprouts for thousands of years.
- researchers at the John Hopkin’s University School of Medicine found that 3 day old broccoli have substantially high amounts of a natural cancer-fighting compound, sulforaphane, which help support antioxidants. {source}
- they are rich in digestible energy, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, beneficial enzymes and phytochemicals.
- after you harvest your sprouts and refrigerate them, they continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content will actually increase. they are a “living” food because they continue to grow, up until the moment you eat them!
- the act of sprouting boosts the B-vitamin content, triples the amount of vitamin A and increases vitamin C by a factor of 5 to 6 times.
- they provide the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes of any food per unit of calorie, and they are easily assimilated and digested.
- you can easily sprout seeds such as alfalfa, fenugreek, peas, lentils, radish and red clover in your own home with a handful of seeds, a jar, cheesecloth (as a screen) and water.
- they “have a greater concentration of vitamins and minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, nitrosamines, trace minerals, bioflavinoids and chemo-protectants such as sulphoraphane and isoflavone which work against toxins, resist cell mutation and invigorate the body’s immune system than at any other point in the plant’s life even when compared with the mature vegetable.” babies are best!
- homegrown sprouts are organic. no pesticides, fumigants or synthetic fertilizers used (unless you want do add them yourself – i know, crazy talk right?). No chemicals. be sure to use certified organic seeds to avoid any possible contamination, and research how to best grow them so you know you are doing it properly.
for fun: check out this time lapse of wheat grass growing.
resources
check out “The Sprouting Book” by Ann Wigmore
how to sprout {1, 2, 3}
sources {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
