What Are The Nutritional Benefits Of Broccoli Sprouts?
Broccoli Sprouts are a delicious addition to your diet and full of nutritional benefits. You can add them to salads, sandwiches, garnish for soup, on top of your avocado toast or just as a light snack when you are feeling a little peckish.
Broccoli sprouts contain high levels of sulforaphane and over 20 times more than a full grown broccoli head. Sulforophane is one of the most important phytonutrients available. Sulforaphane has been shown to be beneficial with slowing down tumor growth, lowering bad cholesterol and helping stabilize blood glucose levels. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Broccoli sprouts also contain high levels of vitamin C, E, A, and calcium.
How To Grow Your Own Broccoli Sprouts.
There are two main ways to sprout seeds:
- The easiest is to use a glass jar (old pasta sauce jar) and some mesh. Put a tablespoons of seeds in the glass jar and add 3 tablespoons of water so that all the seeds are covered with water, cover jar with mesh and elastic band and soak overnight. Pour out the water and rinse seeds through the mesh. drain well and cover with a dark towel and leave in a shaded area of you kitchen. Continue to rinse and drain daily until the seeds have sprouted. ‘this normally takes 2-4 days. Once the seeds have visibly started sprouting place the jar in a sunlit area for a few hours for the sprouts to green up and then put in the fridge. consume within 3-5 days.
- An alternative is to plant the seeds in a tray with some soil and dampen and cover until the sprouts start to grow. Once sprouting has started place in a well lit area until they have grown bigger and turned green. Cut sprouts as needed and keep soil damp.
Repeat the process as often as required! Try and buy organic seeds if possible. Broccoli sprouts taste a little bitter which is why they are better eaten with other ingredients.
Tiffany x