Growing Bean Sprouts

Growing bean sprouts has to be the ultimate in growing your own food indoors! Here’s something you can grow even if you don’t have a patio, balcony, or any outside space. Just grow them on your kitchen counter or any available surface. It’s easy, it’s nutritious, it’s cheap and can be grown all year round. It’s fun for kids to watch a seed growing before their eyes in just a few days.

What are bean sprouts?
They are seeds or grains that have been soaked, allowed to germinate, rinsed and washed for a few days until they have grown to their peak-time for eating.

Why eat bean sprouts?
Eating them is reputed to help your digestion, immune system and improve your general wellbeing and health. Sprouted seeds are little powerhouses of vitamins packed with the live enzymes that make digesting them easy. They are alkaline so particularly help someone who is too acidic in their body or toxic e.g. a person who feels rough from eating too much junk food.

Now, we realise bean sprouts used to attract a bit of prejudice! – that people thought growing bean sprouts was only for very dedicated, lentil-loving, hippy-lifestyle vegetarians - not that I’m against lentils or vegetarians! But nowadays bean sprouts have quite rightly moved into the category of superfood and are eaten by all kinds of people - business people wanting power foods in their lunch, busy mothers needing more energy, anyone wanting to improve their health and vitality. We may think sprouts are a modern phenomenon but actually they have been recognised as a high quality food for almost 5000 years. For example the Hunza tribe in the Himalayas, who are famed for their health and longevity, have long included sprouted seeds as a staple in their diet.

Why bother growing bean sprouts if I can buy them ready-grown?
You can not beat the freshness and vitality of growing your own and this makes a big difference and is really worth the effort. Bean sprouts in shops may have been sitting around for a few days, and been transported a way to get there. By growing them at home you can follow simple guidelines to be sure they remain mould-free. You can choose from many different types of sprout to find your favourite, mix and match to keep variety in your diet and be eating them fresh out the jar at their absolute peak of aliveness and nutritiousness.

Now, your partner (like mine) may have sprout-prejudice or your children may not want to eat anything that “sounds healthy”. If so, don’t give up! May be best not to make a fuss about it, or get into an argument or try to force sprouts on them. Just quietly go on growing bean sprouts, eating some yourself, and from time to time include them for your family mixed into some salad, or sandwich, or stir-fry or if it’s a milder tasting sprout try blending it into a smoothie. You can truthfully tell your children that top athletes and supermodels eat bean sprouts for their health and energy benefits.

Good luck! And let us know any tips you have for including sprouts in your family’s diet.