sproutman ~~loved his book. he's such a sprout radical! i've been craving sprouts lately, guess it's time to break out some seed and find my sprouting baskets. the weather's turned sunny and warm, and my body seems to need fresh green sprouty foods. they're so seasonal for springy weather. favourite sprouts? favourite sprouting method? why do you eat sprouts? health benefits?
Sprouts are just baby cabbages... with attitude..... they are ok, not a huge fan, but i eat them every now and again.....good source of iron apparently
I thought you ment brussel sprouts! ,which i love covered in gravey with a veggie roast, its funny how your tastes change as you get older! S
here are my latest batch of sprouties! they're half harvested already, so they look a little picked over. we've got alfalfa, broccoli and sunflower.
Oh wow, those look sooo good nimh! I love putting sprouts on sandwiches. Yummy! I eat them both because I enjoy the taste of them as well as the health benefits.
yeah, gotta love living foods! that's part of the reason i garden, there's nothing quite like eating something that was growing a minute before your put it in your mouth!
Effects of sprouting on nutrients and antinutrients What happens during the germination? 1 Nutrients are broken down into smaller units 2 Content in minerals and vitamins is greatly increased 3 Chlorophyll is developing in vegetable seeds 4 Toxins and acids that interfere with digestion are reduced and sometimes eliminated 5 Water content is increased 1 Nutrients are broken down into smaller units Proteins are broken down into amino acids while carbohydrates become simple sugars. It is as if sprouts where predigested. Their assimilation is easy for our body. While the starch content of a seed does not change during the first hours of sprouting, after 12 hours it decreases steadily. The protein content does not change during the sprouting period but the protein digestibility is greatly improved. 2 Content in minerals and vitamins is greatly increased Sprouts are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and iron. They contain large amounts of B vitamins and C vitamins when the seeds have been exposed to sunlight. Beans, which are low in vitamin C when dried, increase their contents while sprouting. For 100 g, lentils cooked provide 1.5 mg of vitamin C whereas lentils sprouted contain 16.5 mg. Vegetable seeds increase their content in pretty much every minerals and vitamins. 3 Chlorophyll is developing in vegetable seeds Chlorophyll is developed during the germination process. It is the green matter in plants. It acts as an antenna that absorbs sunlight. Through a chemical process called photosynthesis, plants use the sun's energy to perform various metabolic functions in the plant. Many studies have been done about chlorophyll and its uses as a healer. Chlorophyll seems to improve the functioning of the heart and cleanse the vascular system, lungs, liver and colon. 4 toxins and acids which interfere with digestion are reduced and sometimes eliminated The sprouting of legumes lower the amount of compounds that interfere with digestion and therefore increases the protein digestibility. Studies show that protein digestibility increases in mung beans from 56 % ot 80 % during 60 hours of sprouting. Trypsin is the enzyme that is needed to reduce protein into amino acids. Legumes contain substances that are called trypsin inhibitor factors that interfere with the digestion of proteins. The good news is that these substances decrease during the sprouting. Trypsin inhibitor activity decreases by 70 % during the sprouting of kidney beans. Tannins are present, not in large amounts in legumes. They are a group of polyphenols that binds with proteins thereby lowering their digestibility. Tannins content decrease significantly and to undetectable levels within 60 hours of sprouting. Phytates affect the bioavailability of minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium... During the sprouting, the amount of phytase decreases; the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of phytate increases and phytates are steadily degraded. Studies have shown a 15 % decreased of mung beans phytates content during 60 hours of sprouting. Moreover, the content of calcium, iron and zinc increase steadily during the process.
Sulforaphane is a substance found in broccoli, particularly the sprouts, that has been reported to have anticancer activity in animal and test tube research. Broccoli sprouts come from broccoli-sprouting seeds and are harvested when they are 3 days old.
ps, i also just read the funniest article about 'microgreens' they were talking about sprouts but had given them a newspeak name. hahaha i picked up some new seeds earlier today, more brocc, and some radish. yumm, spicey!
Wow...I've grown mung sprouts in jars, but those look really nifty.... What is your method, and how do you use them in meals?
the method: soak seed in water overnight, or overday, then pour into a bamboo basket. rinse and stick into a little 'greenhouse' (i use a plastic bag, but anything that lets light in and keeps the water from evaporating will work. some pple are so anti-plastic that they wont use it anywhere near their food, so a glass cake dome would be a solution). rinse twice a day until they've grown up into sprouts. it's always nice to give them some really good sunlight in the last phase of growth, then you get all of that nice solar energy transformed into chlorophyll. yummy! how do i use in meals? alone as a munchy snack or in salads. i dont do sandwiches, but if you're so inclined, they'd be right at home there too. i also put them into the blender with my kiddo's popsicle mix.
there is something magical about growing sprouts. i think that when they are grown in love their energy signature increases. i also love that they are so easy. they just want to be grown. fresh living food all year round. yummm
