Sprouts: Easy to Grow, Nutritious and Can Be Grown Indoors Year Round

As a former vegetarian, I remain an advocate for consuming fresh, uncooked, organic produce whenever possible. I have enjoyed growing sprouts indoors for almost ten years. Growing sprouts is an easy way to ensure that you eat freshly grown and harvested produce even during colder months.

The Advantages to Sprouting...

• Relatively easy
• Inexpensive
• Doesn't take up much space
• Most sprouts are ready to consume in 2-4 days
• Educational for children

I love adding sprouts to my salads, sandwiches, veggie wraps, stir fries, soups and as a garnish. Sometimes, I sneak a small handful of alfalfa or red clover sprouts into my smoothies as their flavor can't be detected once blended.

Sprouts are low in calories and are rich in an array of enzymes and nutrients including vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Compared to sprouts purchased at the store, your own sprouts are fresher and cost a lot less. Since growing my own sprouts, I wouldn't dream of buying sprouts in the store as even their "fresh" sprouts look so old compared to those I grow.

Seeds Suitable for Sprouting...

• Alfalfa
• Red Clover
• Red Lentil
• Daikon Radish
• Mung Bean
• Adzuki Bean
• Buckwheat
• Fenugreek
• Broccoli

Finding Sprout Seeds...

I recommend purchasing your sprouting seeds from well known sources that offer organic seeds. AromaWeb advertiser Mountain Rose Herbs sells a small selection of certified organic sprouting seeds. I've tried several of their varieties including their alfalfa, red clover, red lentil and fenugreek seeds. If you are an AromaWeb advertiser that sells sprouting seeds, let me know so I can update this post to also mention your company.

A Tip about Chia Seeds...

Like flax seeds, chia seeds are extremely mucilaginous. In other words, they become especially sticky once they have been moistened. They're perfect for Chia Pets and they are nutritious, but they won't grow successfully for you if you use a standard sprouter.

How to Grow Sprouts...

To grow sprouts, you will need a sprouter. There are quite a few varieties available. . I use two types of sprouters. The first is the Bioset Seed Sprouter. I also regularly use and now prefer the Easy Sprout Sprouter because it offers better drainage and is easier to clean. For the serious sprout lover, large family or restaurant owner, larger and more advanced sprouters exist.

Although growing sprouts is easy, I'll leave it up to the directions that come with your sprouter.

For More Information...

For more information on growing your sprouts, consider reading one of the above books.