Starting to sprout!

vitamentalitywelln
May 8
4 min read

Well, if you have been outside lately, you may have noticed that IT IS SPRING! This is probably my favourite time of the year. With everyone coming back to life, all green and colourful, it gives me great hope that we too, as humans, can restart and regenerate ourselves regularly.

The basis of my spring diet a lot of the time is heavy on things like sprouts and greens. Greens are fantastic for detoxing, and sprouts are just wonderful… one book that I got back in my nutrition school days sums it up best:

The foundation of the living foods concept is the seed. Filled with nutrients needed by the growing plant, and suffused with vital enzymes, seeds are the very core of life. All the energy and life of a plant goes toward making seeds. Each seed holds vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbo-hydrates in reserve, awaiting the suitable environment to begin growing. When air, water and a suitable temperature are provided, a miracle begins. The seed germinates – begins to sprout – and an incredible flow of energy is released. Natural chemical changes occur. Enzymes are produced to convert the concentrated nutrients into those needed by the growing plant. As the sprouting process continues, carbohydrates are made easier to assimilate. Complex proteins are converted into more simple amino acids, and fats are changed into fatty acids, which are easily digested soluble compounds. Vitamin C, along with some other vitamins found only in trace amounts in the seed, is produced in larger amounts during sprouting. In addition, sprouts absorb minerals and vital trace elements from the water used to grow and rinse them. Moreover, the minerals in sprouts are chelated; that is, in their natural state, they are chemically bound to amino acids, so that they are easily assimilated by the human body. Sprouts that turn green are rich in chlorophyll. (Earthly & Divine)

So it all begins with the sprout. Sprouts are, I believe, one of the most nutrient-dense, tasty ways to kick start your health and bring on a rather effective detox (which is important in the spring). The advantages of consuming sprouts are plentiful:

· Enzymes are activated

· Proteins are converted to polypeptides and free amino acids

· Starches change to simple sugars

· Minerals bind to organic forms to increase assimilation

· Vitamin content increases 3–12 times

· Chlorophyll and carotene content increase dramatically when exposed to sunlight

· Home-grown sprouts are remarkably inexpensive

You can sprout just about any seed you want to try… and many taste quite different! My favourites are radish or broccoli sprouts (because they are a little bit spicy, which is delicious), but you can try anything from mung beans or alfalfa, to lentils or clover, to chickpea or arugula! They each have their own flavour and nutrient profiles, and there really is no better bang for your nutritional buck.

How to get started? It’s easy!

1) Soak your seeds for 6 to 8 hours in a big wide-mouth jar for jar sprouting, or in a casserole dish for dish sprouting. Start with a small amount of seed, remembering that the volume increases 3 to 10 times, less for the big seeds and more for the small seeds.

2) For jar sprouting, after the soak, cover the mouth of the jar with reusable mesh cloth secured with elastic. Then, pour out the soaking water, rinse through the cloth a few times (draining the water completely each time) and keep the jar on the counter or in a bowl. For casserole dish sprouting, simply transfer soaked, rinsed and thoroughly drained seeds from a colander back into the dish. Put the lid on and place on the counter.

3) Rinse 2 or 3 times daily. At each rinsing, rinse a few times until the water is fresh and clear. Sprouts in the jar can be rinsed right through the cloth, and sprouts in the casserole dish need to be transferred into a colander. Filtered water is best for the final rinse, as it produces the most alive food; however, chlorinated tap water used initially has the advantage of mold-growth prevention. A daily 5-minute soak in a water solution of hydrogen peroxide, or ½ tsp. amla powder or vitamin C crystals, is also a sure mold prevention. Make sure to drain rinsing water thoroughly.

4) As a rule of thumb, sprouts are at their peak when the shoot is approximately the length of the seed itself, taking 3 to 5 days, depending on the growing conditions.

Give it a try for yourself and see what you think! To get you started, I want to share one of my favourite sprout-laden recipes with you… my Super Sprouted Smoothie! It’s as easy as blending fresh spinach, bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, a banana, and some yogurt into a creamy, delicious mix. It gets even better if you add a pinch of spices like cardamom or cinnamon for a yummy twist on this unique drink. You can technically use any type of sprouts you want with this one too it’s so versatile.

V's Super Sprouted Smoothie:

· 3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed if they are large

· 1 banana

· 1 cup coconut Greek yogurt

· ½ cup bean sprouts

· ½ cup alfalfa sprouts

· ½ tsp. ground cardamom

· ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

· ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

· Pinch of Celtic sea salt

· ½ cup coconut milk

1) Add all ingredients except coconut milk to a blender