Our best friend right now is an immune system we can count on.
And what better way to cultivate one than with a fun gardening project in your kitchen.
No green thumb, special budget nor perfect climate needed, just some dry legumes, water, a glass jar, a bit of fine netting and an elastic band. Legume sprouts are the quickest and most gratifying gardening adventure, perfect for the impatient among us. In only a couple of days, you are rewarded with a scrumptious edible product. And it all happens in the comfort of your kitchen.
This is not only about convenience, reward or something new to play with though. The sprout is a one stop shot of super nourishment. The fact is that the nutritive content of a legume (grain, nut and seed too) is significantly increased when germinated. [6]
Sprouting legumes not only increases their innate nutritional value, it also draws out the anti-nutrients they contain. [5] Anti-nutrients? Yes, these are the seed's protective mechanism against being eaten or decomposed. This also means legumes can be difficult for us to digest, and these chemicals also bind to important minerals like calcium, iron and zinc and prevent them from being absorbed by our bodies. Did you know that simply soaking legumes before cooking them leaches these anti-nutrients into the soaking water so that we can digest them easily and absorb all the nourishment they have to offer. [2]
What do sprouted legumes have to offer?
Its not just because they are fresh and raw when we eat them, but sprouted legumes are also living foods, still growing, with all the enzymes and energy needed to become a plant. They contain amino acids, fibre, trace elements, minerals, vitamins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids.[1]
The antioxidant content of legume sprouts is particularly relevant now as we look for ways to strengthen our immune systems. Just 100g of mung bean sprouts give us about 36% of our vitamin C for the day. Another nutrient abundant in legume sprouts is folate, an important vitamin necessary for a range of vital functions in the body. [3]
The legume sprout, is also the perfect emergency and travel companion. Dried legumes are quite portable and very resilient. My children, students at universities far away, always have fresh lentil and mung bean sprouts growing. Not only is it like an inexpensive multivitamin for them, they enjoy them, especially with mashed avocado, in fact Nina snacks on them by the handful. For younger children, growing sprouts can be a lot of fun too.
Let's get started!
Pour a layer of dry brown lentils, green lentils or mung beans into a glass jar.
Cover the top of the jar with a square of veil or fine netting, and an elastic band.
Cover with water. They swell, so enough to keep them covered.
Leave them overnight.
Drain off water in the morning, rinse again and drain.
Leave the sprouting legumes on a windowsill or counter.
Rinse and drain again in the evening, and each morning and evening after that.
When the sprouts have a white root, they can be transferred into a storage container (not tightly sealed) and popped into the fridge.
They should not be lying in water, so a bed of kitchen towel works well to keep them dry, but breathing.
If they are stored well, they will stay alive and last for many weeks.
Please inspire us with what you are sprouting. If this is your first attempt, let us know how you are doing.
References
Khang, Do Tan, et al. "Phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of germinated legumes." Foods 5.2 (2016): 27.
Sandberg, Ann-Sofie. "Bioavailability of minerals in legumes." British Journal of Nutrition 88.S3 (2002): 281-285.
Guo, Xinbo, et al. "Effect of germination on phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activity of mung bean sprouts (Vigna radiata)." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 60.44 (2012): 11050-11055.
Shohag, M. J. I., Yanyan Wei, and Xiaoe Yang. "Changes of folate and other potential health-promoting phytochemicals in legume seeds as affected by germination." Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 60.36 (2012): 9137-9143.
Avilés‐Gaxiola, Sara, Cristina Chuck‐Hernández, and Sergio O. Serna Saldivar. "Inactivation methods of trypsin inhibitor in legumes: a review." Journal of food science 83.1 (2018): 17-29.
Chon, Sang-Uk. "Total polyphenols and bioactivity of seeds and sprouts in several legumes." Current pharmaceutical design 19.34 (2013): 6112-6124.