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The Magical Foods We Eat
And Their Alternative Uses: Sprouting Green (part I)

   By Josh Peters

Sprouts...Bean sprouts...not what one usually thinks of when pondering magical food. But over the next few issues that is exactly what we are doing!

This issue we'll take a look at the physical properties of the humble sprout. Why should we eat something that, at best, resembles a partially grown weed? Next issue I'll take you on a trip into the magic of the sprout.

First and foremost, the sprout is an incredible powerhouse of nutrition - unlike all other food, once plucked and packaged it does not begin to deteriorate but continues to grow and generate further vitamins. Refrigerating your sprouts enables these little plants to continue to grow, albeit slowly, until you chow down on them. They come in a wide array of flavors depending upon which seeds are used - mung, snow pea, and alfalfa are probably the most well-known, but there's mustard, radish, onion, broccoli, and cress to consider too. And I haven't even touched on the herbs or grains!

So why is the sprout so good for you? Basically it's because of their "concentrated" nature - the sprout contains a wealth of nutrition designed to power its rapid growth. To give you an idea, a single mung bean sprout contains Vitamin A levels on a par with an entire lemon...and that's not even considering it's banana-levels of niacin, or its avocado-levels of thiamin...imagine what a serving of them could do for your health? Running low on energy? Add mung beans to your salad, sandwiches, soups, and stir fries. Much better for you than popping some extra vitamin pills - your body will absorb exactly what it needs from the beans and not one iota more, plus naturally occurring vitamins are easier to absorb.

Sprouts as a whole are probably one of the most concentrated sources of nutrition in the natural world - and better than the manufactured versions. Their levels of enzymes, trace elements, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and proteins surpass those in all other foods. They offer rejuvenating qualities that any spa would be jealous of. And if it's enzymes you're seeking, grab a sprout - certain sprouts offer over 100 times the amount found in fruits and vegetables (every sprout has a minimum of 10 times the enzymes).

Sprouts are also a natural medicine chest. Everyone should be using them in the battle against osteoporosis because of their ability to increase bone density. For women there's the added benefit of preventing PMS and reducing symptoms of menopause.

Having interested you in sprouts let's talk practicalities. Depending upon variety, they aren't necessarily the cheapest thing to buy at the store - a small bag can range from $1-6 and it's eaten so quickly. But they are relatively cheap to buy (ranging from $4-8 a pound) and very easy to grow. Incredibly easy in fact - put together a plate, some paper towel, water - oh, and the seeds - and 4-6 days later you're eating your own home-grown produce! You can even grow them on a piece of woven material such as hemp. But most sprouters end up with a sprout kit of some sort. I personally like the tray variety - they stack and allow for multiple varieties of sprouts to be grown simultaneously.

The simplest way to get going is as follows:
Place 4 tablespoons of seeds in a large glass jar (mung and alfalfa is a good blend), fill with water, and let stand overnight. Drain, rinse, drain, rinse, and drain one last time.
Take a large, waterproof tray and line it with paper towels. Spread the seeds out across the paper towels.
Twice daily spray the seeds with water using a spray bottle and gently stir them. Once the seeds have sprouted green leaves, rinse well and drain. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate.

   

Bean Casserole Makes 4 Servings Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, diced 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 cup diced vegetables 2 cups pasta sauce 12 oz bean sprouts 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded 1 tbsp parmesan cheesed, grated Method: Saute the onion, garlic, and pepper and then add the vegetables, sauce, and sprouts. Pour into a 9-inch pie dish, top with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees. Imbolc Salad Makes 4 Servings Ingredients: 2 oranges, peeled and diced 1 cup red grapes 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced 1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered 1 cup bean sprouts 1/2 cup sunflower sprouts Method: Gently toss all ingredients and serve.

Winter Salad Ingredients: 1 cup bean sprouts 1 cup alfalfa sprouts 1 cup mixed sprouts - radish, onion, mustard 1/2 cup sunflower sprouts or fenugreek 1/2 cup wheat sprouts 1/2 cup cress sprouts 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 carrot, grated Parsley Dressing 1/2 cup sunflower sprouts 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 2/3 cup water 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp soy sauce Method: Gently toss all salad ingredients. Blend dressing ingredients on high until creamy. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.     Grow your own dang food is an interesting blog article on growing sprout in other foods...