5 Reasons Why Sprouts are the Best Superfood on the Planet

Looking for a nutritional boost? Cheap and easy, sprouts offer the kind of health benefits worthy of the name “superfood”.

So, what’s great about sprouts?

1. Sprouts are a “living food.” Unlike other fruit and vegetables, which lose a significant amount of vitamins by the time they reach your table, sprouts continue to produce nutrients after being harvested.

2. Sprouts Have a Higher Nutritional Content Than Any Other Food. A sprouted seed, bean or nut has many times the nutritional value than the non-sprouted version.Replacing the lettuce in your salad with sprouts will give you 5 times the protein, 6 times the Vitamin C and 7 times the B Complex Vitamins.

3. The Most Enzyme-Rich Food You Can Find. Enzymes act as a catalyst for the chemical reactions in our bodies while helping us digest essential nutrients in our food. A sprouted seed, nut or bean has a whopping 43 times the enzyme power when compared to the non-sprouted variety.

4. Sprouts Are High in Anti-Oxidants. Anti-oxidants protect our DNA from damage and slow down the effects of aging.

5. Sprouts Are Rich In Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll cleanses our blood and detoxifies our system. It has the ability to regenerate our bodies on a cellular and molecular level.

If you’re new to sprouts, the easiest way to incorporate them into your diet is by adding them to salads. You can also try adding raw sprouts to smoothies and juices.

Sprouts also make a great garnish to meat based dishes like fresh salmon and organic beef. They can also add a nice crunch to stir fries and soups – just make sure you add them within the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Growing Your Own

Sprouts can be purchased cheaply at most grocery stores, but if you’re looking for an even fresher and more affordable option, growing your own is easy.

1. Choose a container: a simple glass jar covered with a mesh screen and a food grade rubber band works well. You can also purchase multi-tiered plastic containers that hold multiple seeds, beans, or nuts.

2. Soak your seeds, beans or nuts for 8-12 hours. Make sure you add 4 parts water to one part seed. Rinse.

3. Repeat rinse 2 times a day. Be careful to keep your sprouts drained because they rot if left in water.

4. Keep sprouts moist but not wet, grow at room temperature, allow plenty of air and be sure not to overfill container.

If you are looking for an easy, affordable superfood option, give sprouts a try!