Is Sprouting Necessary On The Raw Food Diet?

When I began experimenting with a raw food diet, I looked at what everyone else was doing and quickly discovered sprouting. According to experts, sprouting foods increases their vitamin and mineral content and improves digestibility.

I sprouted lentils, mung beans, alfalfa and chick peas. While sprouting was pretty easy and straightforward, I don’t do it anymore. I eat them on occasion, but I don’t consider sprouting a necessity for a healthy lifestyle.

You’re probably wondering why that is since sprouts have been praised for their amazing health benefits. While it’s true that sprouts are generally healthy, they have some disadvantages and the benefits often do not outweigh the time spent sprouting.

Is Sprouting Worth The Health Benefits?

In order to get the health benefits from sprouting that so many health experts praise, you’d have to eat a lot of sprouts everyday.

To put it in perspective, one cup of alfalfa sprouts only has 7 calories, 1.3 grams of protein, 0.6 grams of fiber and 1% recommended daily value of calcium. In order to get 5.3 grams of protein from sprouts (not a whole lot), you would have to eat at least 4 cups of alfalfa sprouts.

Okay, so that’s alfalfa. What about a more nutritionally-dense sprout? An entire cup of lentil sprouts only provides about 80 calories and 6 grams of protein. Try to eat an entire cup of lentil sprouts, though. It’s not pleasant.

While it’s possible to eat a lot of sprouts, there are easier ways to get your protein, vitamins and minerals in a much more palatable package.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-sprouts. I absolutely love sunflower sprouts, and the occasional pinch of sprouted lentils or mung beans in a recipe. Alfalfa sprouts are wonderful in sandwiches and they accent salads nicely. I consider them healthy, tasty “condiments” but not a major part of a meal.

Digestibility Of Sprouts

Lentils, beans, quinoa and other commonly sprouted foods are not digestible in their raw form unless they are sprouted. Even though they are sprouted, some people might find them problematic to digest. If you were to eat an entire cup of lentil sprouts, you might not like the gas and bloating that would result.

Of course, you’ll never be served an entire plate of lentil sprouts at a raw food restaurant for this very reason (not to mention the palatability issue of eating so many of them).

Sprouts make an interesting garnish to raw dishes. You can sprinkle them in raw soups, on salads, or have them on sandwiches but they’re not a nutritional powerhouse in a typical serving.

Contamination Of Sprouts

Another problem I have with sprouts is that they are easily contaminated. Sprouts are often recalled in supermarkets and restaurants due to e. coli or salmonella contamination. While sprouting at home is less risky, contamination from bacteria, molds and other pathogens are still a possibility if they are handled improperly.

If you are going to eat sprouts, however, I recommend that you grow your own, but do so carefully and in the most sanitary condition possible.

How To Sprout

Sprouting is really easy to do. Basically, you need:

• A glass mason jar (I use the quart-sized containers, but you’ll need a jar that is at least 3 times larger than the amount of dry seeds/legumes you put in it to accommodate swelling and growing roots),
• A mesh screen or breathable cloth material (cheese cloth),
• Rubber band (or mason jar lid without the insert).

Sprouting Lentils: Lentils are very easy to sprout. Simply soak them overnight in a glass mason jar. The next morning, drain the soak water, rinse and drain again. Then attach a screen lid to the jar and place it on its side out of direct sunlight. Two to three times each day, rinse and drain the lentils. You should see them start to sprout after one day. By day two, they are coming along nicely and by day three, you should have inch-long roots and your jar will be very full! I eat them once the roots are longer than a half inch.

Sprouting Mung Beans: Follow the same process you used for lentils for mung beans, which may be ready to eat after two days.

Chick peas take a bit longer to sprout and I usually eat them by day 3 or 4 of the sprouting process, or depending on when their roots show. Chick peas also double in size when they soak, so keep that in mind when selecting a sprouting container for them.

Sprouting Alfalfa: Alfalfa is easy to sprout. Simply add 2-3 tablespoons of alfalfa to one cup filtered water. Be sure to removed any damaged or withered seeds before adding the water. Soak the seeds for about 10 hours in a glass mason jar with the screen mesh or cheese cloth fastened to the top.

After soaking for 10 hours, drain the water. Roll the container around to distribute the seeds around the sides of the jar. Place the jar on its side in a warm area, but not in direct sunlight. Rinse the seeds twice per day in cool water. The easiest way to do this is to pour the water in through the mesh at the top, then gently strain it back out. You do not need to remove the seeds, but don’t leave them too saturated in water or else they will rot quickly.

Repeat the twice per day rinsing process over the course of four or five days. Once the sprouts are 1-2 inches long, they are ready to be eaten. Remove them from the jar and place them on a tray in the sunlight for about 15 minutes to help dry them off a bit. Then place them in a container in the refrigerator where they should keep for up to a week.

What To Do With Sprouts

I use sprouts in raw collard wraps or tossed in green salads. I use them in blended soups and stir them in to add texture and crunch. They make a fun garnish atop many raw vegan dinners. Sunflower sprouts are wonderful eaten by the handful.

Tags: alfalfa, chick peas, digestion, garbanzo beans, legumes, lentils, mung beans, protein, Raw Food Diet, sprouting, sprouts