Anna Delany, adapted from www.Fruits&VeggiesMatter.gov
Sprouts have a long history, from Chinese medicinal use over 5,000 years ago, to Captain James Cook and his crew who ate sprouts to help ward off scurvy. Nowadays, sprouts can easily be grown in your garden, or even your kitchen window, or simply bought at the grocery store.
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There are many varieties of sprout, all of which vary in texture and taste. Radish and onion sprouts, for example, live up to the promise of their name and add spice and zing to meals. Hardy sprouts, like Mung bean sprouts, work well in cooking, while more delicate varieties, like alfalfa sprouts, are most often used in salads and sandwiches.
| Bean Sprouts |
Bean sprouts have small light yellow leaves and a silvery white shoot. These sprouts produce a subtle nutty flavor and add lots of crunch to stir-fries, soups, and salads. |
| Green-Leaf Sprouts |
These sprouts are recognized by two tiny green leaves at the tip of a slender 1/2-inch to 3-inch shoot. These sprouts are often used in salads and sandwiches. |
| Alfalfa Sprouts |
One of the most common sprouts on the market, these sprouts have threadlike shoots with green tops. They provide a subtle nutty flavor. A great addition to salads and sandwiches. |
| Radish Sprouts |
Known as the "hot" sprout, this variety evokes the zippy taste of radishes. |
| Sunflower Sprouts |
Similar to alfalfa sprouts, sunflower sprouts have a mild, sweet flavor, adding crunch to any dish. |
| Pumpkin Sprouts |
Grown from hulled seeds, these sprouts can be eaten raw or lightly toasted. Excellent when added to salads, soups and bread. |
| Wheat Sprouts |
These sprouts cook quickly and are often used in recipes in place of whole grains. |
| Lentil Sprouts |
Although not as “spicy” as the Radish sprout, lentil sprouts have a peppery flavor. They are often used in soups, stews and casseroles. |
Young plants often have more vitality, which means that on a gram for gram basis, sprouts are richer in vitamin C than the plants they eventually grow into.
Different sprouts contain different properties that benefit your health. Alfalfa sprouts, for example, contain significant dietary sources of phytoestrogens, while broccoli sprouts contain high amounts of sulfoaphrane, which may help to fight cancer. Clover sprouts provide the most significant source of isoflavones of any sprout, while Sunflower sprouts are an excellent source of lecithin and vitamin D.
To get the healthy benefits of sprouts, they need to be fresh, well refrigerated and carefully handled.
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