Beans and lentils and seeds can sprout….before they grow to fully grown plants. Sprouts are a high protein skin boost, bringing it back to being normal.
They are full of nutrition and I found out about them from one of my friends who eats a lot of fresh salads and smoothies.
Benefits of Sprouts
The main benefit of sprouts is that their protein content multiples at least 3 times whilst the bean germinates. The good thing is that they are meant to be eaten fresh. They are absolutely delicious in avocado salads and are quite crunchy, but softer than unsprouted beans or seeds.
You can add them to soups, salads, smoothies, sandwich fillings, and even curries. They are very versatile and easy to grow.
As a deficiency of only one amino acid can cause allergies, low energy levels, poor digestion, lowered immunity, and premature aging, it is best to always have sprouts in your meals for lunch.
As time goes on, you can add bean sprouts to any savoury smoothies for breakfast.
Remember this – The replacement of the missing amino acids can result in a complete reversal of symptoms.
Eat a variety of sprouts as each kind has different levels of amino acids in them. Personally, I like alfalfa, sunflower seeds sprouts, mung bean, puy lentil, black-eye beans, lentils and almond sprouts.
They also contain minerals, trace elements and chlorophyll. When I first started growing and eating sprouts with my food – I noticed that my skin was an even tone. The chlorophyll – that is the green juice in most green plants – is effective in building up your blood.
The reason for this could be that the cholorophyll molecule is similar to haemoglobin.
Sprouts are also full of enzymes which make them easy for us to digest.
What Minerals And Vitamins Do Sprouts Have?
Here is a short list of a few:
- Alfalfa – Vitamin B complex, Vitamins A, C, E, K
Minerals – Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Selenium, Zinc
- Almonds – Protein, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Fats
Vitamin B, E
- Chickpeas – Carbohydrates, Calcium, Protein, Magnesium, Potassium
Vitamins A and C
- Black-eyed Beans – Protein, Vitamins A, and C, Magnesium and Potassium
- Lentils – Protein, Iron and Vitamin C
- Mung Beans – Protein, Vitamin C, Iron and Potassium
I could go on and on, but I believe you have got the message now.
I have told a few of my friends how to grow sprouts and sometimes they mix up the process.
Dear friends, it is so easy…Here’s the method:
- In the evening, soak half a cup of beans in a 500g glass jar
- The following morning, drain the beans and rinse
- In the evening drain the beans and rinse
- Repeat steps 2 and 3
- You should see a little tail growing from your sprouts by now. When sprout tails are half an inch long, you can add them to your meals.
An Exception: Please note that alfalfa seeds take up to 5 days to grow and become green. So this means 4 days of steps 2 and 3…If you need any help on this, please let me know and I will oblige.
Like all plants, the warmer the weather the faster your sprouts will grow. Most beans take only 2 days to grow after soaking. Kidney and adzuki beans are slightly harder to sprout, so I suggest mung beans or sunflower seeds to start with.
I use sprouting jars to grow mine. You can get your jars from Amazon.
You also do not need much space for them to grow, neither a garden.
They are very good cost-wise. How? 1 cup of beans grows to 3 x their size after soaking in water overnight – so 500g of beans will last at least 2 weeks. A packet of beans only costs £1.17-£2.00 in the store. You can get 3kg for £3.00. That could last you for 2 months!
I make sure to always have black-eyed beans, different kinds of lentils and seeds, alfalfa and sunflower seeds in my kitchen cupboard to enliven my salads or green juices. Yes, you can even put them through a slow juicer – and with a touch of lemon juice, ginger root and 1 green apple – the taste will go well with whatever other leafy and watery vegetables you put in your juicer.
To make sure your juices always end up being tasty – add the green apple or 2, ginger root and fresh lemon last. Then pour the juice into your blender. Then add the 1 handful of leafy greens of your choice, 1 whole cucumber and 1 medium avocado to your blender and blend away. This always makes for either a filling and quick breakfast or a light dinner smoothie.
Try it – I bet you’ll like it!
I have been searching for a good product for my skin problems i want to gain a glow with out any blemishes.
In high school i often was made fun of because of my acne and dry skin. I used a number of products that never really worked for me hopefully this will work for me
Hi Silano, the best thing you could do is a bowel cleanse. I recommend First Cleanse by Renew Life. It is gentle yet effective. Do a cleanse at least 3 times a year. For the skin glow, the liver flush is best as mentioned on my site. Always do the bowel cleanse first though and then the liver flush as it will be more effective for you.
Take care…
Nice article on sprouts! I knew you could sprout legumes but it surprised me when I read that they contain many times more protein. Do sprouts also contain more of the vitamins and minerals? I have lots of black eyed peas and lentils, so I think I’m gonna give this thing a try.
Yes, sprouted seeds and beans contain more vitamins and minerals. Remember to soak overnight, then drain and rinse the following morning.
Wow. I am really surprised that the protein content is 3 times higher. I have an ex-girlfriend that had Eczema only on her hands. If she increases her amino acid protein content in her diet, he Eczema symptoms would be less severe then?
I ask because I have never heard of this before. I thought it was something you just had to learn to live with.
No Ernest, eczema can be cleared, if you read the article on bowel cleansing –
You will see that is the best way to clear it from her system. She has to be careful that she nips it in the bud now as eczema can migrate to other parts of her body. My eczema started in my hands as well then quickly spread…
Also evening primrose oil is useful which you can also read about on my site…
Increasing her protein content will also help to repair her skin, but she also needs omega 3 fatty acids and GLA in her diet to make her skin texture normal.
Take care…and I wish you both all the best!
Great post Stella! As an vegetarian I’m a big fan of sprouts, it’s such an underrated food. Love to top my sandwiched and bowls with sprouts. Did not know there was such an amount of different ones, so thank you so much for that information! Will definitely try some other ones out.
Hi Daniella,
Yes, sprouts are mostly eaten by people from eastern asia (Chinese, Kazhakstan region) There is a website called Sproutpeople.com who sell the EasySprouter. They also have detailed information about all the different kind of sprouts there are.
All the best!
Hello Stella, I’ve never heard of anything like sprouts before! Do you know if you could buy these at the store instead of having to grow them? I see that it doesn’t take long to grow them but everything I seem to grow dies right away… I’m not a very good gardener. I would hope stores would carry them since they have a lot of nutrition in the sprouts. If not, I’ll try to grow them myself. The benefits and vitamins that they have are beyond me. I can’t believe I haven’t heard of this before. Best Wishes, Rachel
Hi Rachel, you don’t need soil to grow sprouts! Very few health stores sell them, but you could look around where you live.
I like seeing them grow… Especially alfalfa. There is a site called sproutpeople.com. They will probably put you in the right direction.
Stella, your sprout article was very informative. I use sprouts instead of lettuce in sandwiches and sometimes in salad, mostly because I like the taste of different ones.
I never tried getting the legumes and seeds myself, mostly because they are so readily available. I’m thinking I will try to do my own. Probably fresh sprouts are better, right?
Hi Netta,
Yes, fresh is best…you will need a sprout jar…
You will be able to buy these online or in a reliable health food shop.
To your health,
Stella
This is truly interesting, thanks for sharing. I used to see my grandmother drinking this before and I used to think it’s weird. But after reading the post and learning about how healthy sprouts can be, I realize what an idiot I was 😛 I would love to try it but would like to ask first if there is any weird smell or taste that I should be aware of?
Hi Jack…
No as long as you drain the seeds or beans well after each rinse, they will not ferment and smell.
You will need a sprout jar which is suitable for sprouting beans and seeds in. Very interesting to note about your Grandma…
I like eating bean sprouts with a fat avocado salad…Makes your hair thick and very healthy. Make sure you don’t eat sprouts after 4.00pm in the afternoon as they give so much energy you might not be able to go to sleep…
Just thought I would let you know.
Let me know how you get on…
Hi, I learned recently about using sprouts in meals. I haven’t done it yet, though. Thanks for outlining the benefits that it has for our health. Isn’t it in countries like Japan, China, and India where people eat lots of sprouts?
I am going to try this soon. Since I am a hobby gardener, I do lots of sprouting seeds indoors. This one should be a no brainer. I like to put my seeds on a dampened paper towel, put it into a ziploc bag and onto the refrigerator. That way, i do not need to drain them twice every day. It only takes a few days until they sprout in that ziploc bag.
Thought I would share that tip with you as well.
Thanks for sharing this great article,
Oscar
Hi Oscar,
Putting sprouts on a paper towel is new to me…Does it work for Aduki beans and soya sprouts.
If it does, please let me know… I though using paper towels was best for small seeds like alfalfa or wheatgrass.
Stella,
I myself have never had eczema, yet my brother did for sometime. His was not in too many places, and back then they only had creams by prescription. It was bad though on his leg and seemed to get worse. My mom also changed his diet a lot i remember. either the diet helped him or he out grew it if thats possible. Later in my 20’s I was having issues with digestion, and read about Vitamix blenders, and various juices you could make to help with my problem. This was about the time several companies started selling herbal powders and capsules. I decided to try making these juice smoothies with another blender which worked with the powders and did help me. Twenty years later having now the money to buy a Vitamix started making more juices without powders, and I noticed even better change in my digestion and regularity.
Great information you offer, along with the recipes. Thanks
Hi Bill,
Yes Vitamix blenders are expensive but great! I use mine every day…
My pleasure to be of service…
The information you share about consuming sprouts of various seeds besides interesting is very logical for me. As you say the plants concentrate a large number of micronutrients, but being tissues still in development are more accessible to digest by enzymes of the intestine so the absorption of amino acids and other valuable substances must be much more efficient in distributing to the skin. Thanks for spreading this knowledge.
True, Tommy true.
However, you would need to eat a bucket of sprouts to get enough protein depending on your height and weight…So please mix some fish and avocado with them!
Hi Stellar. Thanks for sharing this awesome article. Seriously I have seen sprouts before but don’t really know that sprouts can be eaten. I never knew that they contain at least three times their protein content. I definitely will try out sprouts.
I want to make a suggestion. I think it would be nice if you make a video showing the steps of making sprouts. Would be nice.
Thanks for sharing.
Mr Eazzy,
Videos are a question of being well spoken and engaging…Plus one needs editing skills…
I am just focusing on email marketing and lead generation for now as I have a lot on my plate at the moment.
I will keep a note of your suggestion and work on it later…
So watch this space…
Great post, I am a big fan of mung beansprouts, I first started using them when I decided it was time to lose weight so rather than just eat the food my wife prepared for me I started making stir frys and used mung beansprouts extensively not only for their nutritional values but to help keep the hunger at bay. I must admit I had never though about growing them from beans so this has really opened my eyes, are mung beansprouts easy to grow?
Yes Pete,
Mung beans take 2 days to sprout.
1. Simply place 3 tablespoons in a glass jar of water and leave to soak overnight.
2. Next morning, drain sprouts.
3. Repeat rinsing and draining morning and next evening for 2 days.
By now , you should have a little tail about the length of the mung bean. It is ready to eat.
You can find sprout jars online.
Hope this helps!
Very well-written article, thank you! Protein is so important so providing a healthy way to get protein is always beneficial. I really like how you provided the benefits of sprouts and included ways to concoct them. I would have never thought to put sprouts in smoothies! Thank you for providing a list of your favorite sprouts as well as the vitamins and minerals within each. This is a really helpful post, well done!
Yes, Pentrental,
You can put sprouts in smoothies. Put plenty of lemon juice or grapefruit juice to mask the taste and also cucumber pieces to make the taste more bland.
You will notice a difference in your skin when you start having at least 4 cups of juiced/blend daily. It will take at least 1-2 weeks to see the difference. You will have more glowing and smooth skin. Especially as green lentil sprouts have iron and Vitamin C.
Much cheaper than creams and lotions!
It’s true that in any ailment or sickness there is the right food to possibly cure you from it. Mung bean is always available to us, so it has become a regular side dish but most of the time we put it our vegetable lumpia or spring roll. Alfalfa on the other hand is not always available in the grocery stores and it’s pricey in our country but whenever we have the opportunity to grab it, we like to just add it in salads because I don’t know how else I should prepare or cook it. Chickpeas is always added in stews or sometimes I’ll put some on fried rice together with other veggies and meat.
At school, my kids were taught how to grow it as part of their Science curriculum. Their teacher would take some pictures and sends it to parents. This task made out kids more responsible and appreciative of the veggies they have planted. Thank you for sharing this. It helps readers to become more aware of nutritional values of food.
I could not agree more. Thank you for the compliment!
Hello,
Your article is very interesting for people like who have been fighting with eczema for years! I didn’t know about sprouts and I’ve always been afraid to eat raw grains as I’m scared of indigestion problems. But when I saw all the benefits you listed (clear skin, lots of amino acids and minerals), it made me think twice. Thanks to your article, I’ll definitely try sprouts and add them in my food.
Thank you!
Hello,
Yes, bean and lentil sprouts are very easy to digest once sprouted. You can also sprout alfalfa seeds, red clover, etc. They make for tasty sandwich fillings with a tomato or avocado based filling.
It’s very interesting written articles. Protein is so important to providing a healthy way to get to our body. It’s benificially. It’s the first time I hear about sprouts, The information you share about consuming sprout of various seeds besides interesting is very logical.thanks for spreading your knowledge
this is really helpful article..thankyou
I’m glad you found the article interesting Cherryl. We need to help one another keep healthy because we only have one body to live in for our whole lives.