I never liked eating the sprouted healthy seeds. The ethnic tastes created by the junks, the flavours of sugar, salt and fat always influenced my food habit. Thank God! Times changed and my feelings towards sprouts too.
So, what are sprouts and why they are healthy companions of your food shelf…
Sprouts are the seeds that germinate and transform into young lively green shoots. They are grown in a water prone hydroponic system (water thrown away and seeds allowed to germinate). In short, sprouts are the edible germinated seeds of beans, legumes, nuts, and grains as well as vegetables. Some of the famous ones are mung, chickpea, wheatgrass, lentil, broccoli and alfalfa.
Why sprouting helps in increasing the nutritional quality of food?
Sprouting is a natural process, somewhat magical, wherein the seed coat or its armour gets off after absorbing water. If you observe the green cotyledons are tucked tightly inside like a curled-up foetus and they are just waiting to be released! Sprouting significantly increases the amount of fibre of the seed baby and this fibre is quite healthy for our gut bacteria. This fibre acts as a prebiotic and feed your good stomach bacteria that helps maintain a steady, healthy digestive system. Through germination, a simple and economic process, we can modify the nutritional and antioxidant profile of seeds by improving their vitamin content, amino acid profile, protein digestibility and antioxidant capacity.
Protein loaded sprouts are good veggie substitute for fish, chicken, and eggs. Sprouts are often best plant-based substitutes for piling up amino acids in your body. Brussel sprouts, moong sprouts, bean sprouts, chickpea sprouts help build up muscles, strengthen bones, generate new blood cells that further enhance oxygen carrying capacity. No worries of extra fat, cholesterol and calories getting inside your body as sprouts are low fat and high protein seeds and grains. Also, rich in protein, vitamin A, potassium, calcium and phosphorus sprouting increases the bioavailability of these nutrients. Sprouts are good antioxidants and help in neutralizing the free radicals.
All sprouts are miniature nutritional powerhouses!!
What do sprouts do to your body?
Sprouted seeds and grains are a good source of enzymes that are not easily available in other foods. These enzymes expedite metabolism and helps in energy release. Level of proteins are high in newly sprouted seeds and that help in cell growth and immunity. Abundantly found Omega 3 fatty acids are present in sprouts and helps maintaining heart health. Sprouts balances level of oxygen via blood cells and muscle activity and helps better heart functioning.
All womenfolk out there who wish to look radiant and gleaming then sprouts can help you. The much present Vitamin B in large numbers helps in hydrating the skin and the cell regeneration process accelerates when sprouts are part of your weekly regime. Collagens are produced helping skin tightening and sprouts help prevent occurrence of acne. Sprouts help in body detoxification through its antioxidants and helps in internal cleaning; especially with its super high Vitamin A & C content that you can also assure you of thick, lustrous hair growth. Hair follicles growth are boosted and new hairs are also promoted with sprouts. Moong sprouts actually contain a plethora of hair nourishing nutrients such as folate, zinc, iron and vitamins A, B, C and K. Grey hair formation, a result of ageing and damage due to free radicals, gets protected and hair restores glitter loss.
Some special benefits of eating sprouts…
The journal Nutrition & Metabolism notes that ALA Alpha-linolenic-acid can suppress enzymes involved in inflammation (Brussels sprouts offer an omega-3 fatty acid … alpha-linolenic acid). The Omega-3s in general, and Alpha-linolenic-acid in specific helps control inflammatory processes in the body. Some antioxidants in Alfalfa are saponins, copper, manganese, and selenium. In addition, alfalfa sprouts are a rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are major players in curbing risk of cancer.
Due to foliate presence, sprouts are sometimes considered superfood for pregnant women and help prevent birth deformities like neural tube defects. For men too, sprouts can boost fertility and increase sperm count and motility.
The fibre-rich sprouts help in losing weight by reducing absorption of carbohydrates and sugars in the intestines. Not only Brussel sprouts prevent fat build-up, they help in promoting weight loss and ease in bathroom during motions (bowel movement).
How to measure calories in 100gms sprouts
1 cup of approx. 100 grams with moong sprouts can give between 200-250 calories (depending upon whether other sprouts like chickpea are added in the mixture. If not then moong sprout alone gives around 40-50cal)
Major source of
carbohydrates 150-170 calories
Proteins- 50-70 calories
Fat- 6-8 calories
A standard adult diet requirement is around 2000 calories. While considering this as baseline, one cup of 100 grams moong sprouts can fulfil about 12-13% of daily calories requirement minus fat and bad cholesterol. This can greatly benefit diabetics and people with weight issues.
How to prepare sprouts in salads or dishes-
Avail prepacked sprouts from market. Only thing, wash them thoroughly if you want to eat raw or better cook well to avoid any chances of E. coli infections (especially in pregnant woman)
You can try sprouting at home
After thoroughly washing the required quantity of seeds soak them overnight. Make sure to use double the amount of water for grains and seeds as these will swell up after absorbing water. Skim off and throw away floating grains or debris.
After 10–12-hour soak, drain off the water (I use the water for the plants) Put the swollen seeds that are about to germinate in a cheesecloth and cover the container with a lid. Some put the container in slight place like counter top or in microwave (without any heating) for further sprouting process that may take 2-3 days depending upon weather conditions.
Types of Sprouts
- Bean & Pea- Moong, Kidney, Bean, Black & Snow Pea
- Vegetables- Broccoli, Alfalfa, Mustard Green & Red Clover
- Nuts & Seeds- Pumpkin, Sunflower & Sesame
- Sprouted Grains- Wheatgrass & Quinoa
You can avoid the risk of food poisoning by taking a few precautions:
Never buy or eat slimy or smelly sprouts
Try keeping sprouts below 8 degrees Celsius at all times
Take extreme caution with sanitization if attempting to make sprouts at home
Rinse sprouts before consumption
Always wash your hands before handling sprouts
Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!