Small But Mighty: Sprouts
Need a good nutrition boost to keep you energized during these drab days? Go get yourself some sprouts. Pile them into your favorite sandwich or on top of a salad; these little nutrient powerhouses are available locally year-round, are fresh and delicious and are brimming with nutrients.
Sprouts are seeds that have been soaked and rinsed a number of times until they germinate, or sprout. Some sprouts are eaten as soon as they germinate and others are best once they have grown a little plant.
Gone are the days of boring old alfalfa. If you haven’t ventured into the world of sprouts lately, brace yourself, because variety is the word of the day. The most common sprouts are still alfalfa and mung bean sprouts, but all kinds of other sprout mixes are available, from delicate clover sprouts, to spicy onion sprouts, to large sunflower sprouts, to dense and crunchy lentil and mixed bean varieties.
Sprouts pack a nutrient punch like nothing else. All kinds of metabolic processes happen in a seed as it begins to grow. The metabolically active seed is usually much higher in nutrients that its latent counterpart. Sprouts typically are rich in bioavailable vitamins, minerals,amino acids, proteins and of course, the much revered health promoting phytochemicals.
You can grow your own sprouts or you can buy locally grown sprouts. We are lucky to have local sprouts available all year here in the Kootenays. All you need to grow your own is a good clean jar, a small piece of cheesecloth, an elastic band, clean fresh water and some sprouting seeds. Buy seeds specifically for sprouting, and they will come complete with instructions. Growing your own sprouts is extremely economical and can be a lot of fun.
Be aware that sprouts have, on very rare occasion, harbored harmful bacteria such as salmonella. For this reason, Health Canada does not recommend that young children, seniors, or people who are immune compromised, eat raw sprouts. For more information about the risks, visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/sprouts-germes-eng.php
For more information about Whole Foods Nutrition visit www.wholefoodsnutrition.ca
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