Sprouts

Posted on | October 30, 2008 | No Comments

Back in the summer I started Square Foot Gardening in order to grow my own organic vegetables. My garden consists of 32 square feet which allows me to have up to 32 different crops. It’s a true water and work saver and fresh things from a home garden are just amazing. This led me to research about sprouts and their nutritional value. Pound for pound, sprouts are incredibly nutrient rich and absolutely easy for anyone to grow. The Wheat Grass Kits web site is one of several that talks about all the different seeds and the nutritional value they bring to the table. The amazing thing about home grown organic sprouts is the taste. The picture above shows my current batch of Garbanzo beans and broccoli sprouts. This growth is about three days worth and the broccoli sprouts are now ready to eat. Research studies have shown that they contain 50 times more sulforaphane than fresh broccoli. Sulforaphanes are anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial compound that can be obtained by eating cruciferous vegetables such as arugula, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, broccoli sprouts, chinese broccoli, broccoli raab, (deep breath) kohlrabi, mustard greens, turnip greens, radish, and watercress. What’s more, sprouting broccoli seeds contain glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, substances that protect cells from becoming malignant, at 10-100 times greater levels than in fresh broccoli. In addition, organic broccoli seed are sources of plant estrogens, similar to human estrogen, and so are helpful in cases of PMS, menopause, hot flashes and fibrocystic disease. Nutrient dense, sprouting broccoli seeds are rich sources of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, anti-oxidants, the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Also carotene, chlorophyll, amino acids, trace elements and antioxidants. And, these little babies contain as much as 35% protein.

Garbanzo bean (Chickpeas) seed sprouts are rich in carbohydrates, fiber, calcium and protein as well as magnesium, potassium and Vitamins A and D. I’ll be using sprouts in several of my dishes. You can also buy many of these at the WheatGrass store as well. If you have questions about sprouting, please let me know and I’ll be happy to answer them.