When was the last time you ate sprouts? Most Americans don’t consume sprouts often, partially due to the reputation sprouts acquired in recent years for carrying E. coli. This is unfortunate since sprouts can be grown safely and easily at home.
Made from a variety of seeds (the two most popular are broccoli and alfalfa), they’re an approachable and rich source of nutrients and minerals. If you’re trying to increase your intake of locally-grown food, look no further than your kitchen!
With their fresh flavor and crunchy texture, sprouts are easy to incorporate into a variety of summertime meals. They’re the perfect solution if you struggle with the strong taste of cruciferous vegetables. Like broccoli and leafy greens, they’re an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and iron. (1)
First grown for consumption in ancient India and Southeast Asia, cruciferous sprouts can help normalize blood glucose levels, reduce inflammation, and contribute to overall metabolic health. (2, 3)
If you tend to shy away from DIY nutrition projects, rest assured: Growing sprouts is fool-proof and fits into even the busiest of lifestyles. And while they might not be the safest food to purchase commercially, it’s much easier to avoid contamination at home.
Let’s discuss how to make sprouts step by step -- and some delicious ways to incorporate them into your favorite meals.
How to Make Sprouts at Home
It costs about $30 to invest in the supplies necessary to make countless batches of sprouts at home.
You’ll need:
Seeds to sprout (start with broccoli or alfalfa)
Place three tablespoons of seeds in a clean, sanitized mason jar. Cover with cold water and stir well. Screw the sprouting lid on your jar and leave the seeds to soak for 8 hours.
After the initial soak, drain the sprouts (just flip upside down and allow as much water as possible to drain through the mesh lid). Run fresh water into the jar through the mesh lid and rinse your sprouts, then set the jar upside down at an angle in a bowl to allow it to drain throughout the day.
Rinse and drain your sprouts each morning and evening for four days, until your sprouts have nearly filled the jar. If you leave them in a sunny place during this process, they’re more likely to turn green, but it’s not necessary.
At the end of the fourth day, dump your sprouts onto a clean towel and spread them out to eliminate any excess moisture. They’re ready to eat!
Store sprouts in a sealed glass container on a towel to keep them fresh. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Health Benefits of Broccoli Sprouts
While all sprouts contain a mega-dose of powerful antioxidants, broccoli sprouts, in particular, are rich in a compound called sulforaphane. Broccoli sprouts contain 25X more sulforaphane than mature broccoli! Sulforaphane can improve your liver’s detoxifying capacity, support brain health, and reduce your risk for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. (4)
We believe in the power of broccoli sprouts so much that they form the foundation of our Daily Detox Kit. Included with the kit is Broccoli Seed and Sprout, a blend of specially cultivated broccoli seed extract and broccoli sprout concentrate, designed to help support detoxification, antioxidant status, and cellular health, as well as offer cardiovascular and neuronal protection.
If you get out of your home sprouting routine, our Broccoli Seed and Sprout is a convenient way to capitalize on the incredible benefits of sprouts and the typical dose is just 1 capsule per day.
The sulforaphane in Broccoli Seed and Sprout is particularly well-known for sending used estrogen down the healthiest detox pathways, thus lowering the risk of hormone-based cancers.
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How Much Broccoli Sprout Should You Eat Per Day?
What’s the optimal amount of broccoli sprouts to eat each day? Aiming to eat sprouts daily is an excellent place to start. Daily broccoli sprout consumption can improve digestion and bowel health. (5)
As you become more comfortable with making sprouts and incorporating them into your cooking, try increasing your consumption to 30-100 grams per day. Thirty or more grams per day may lead to a decrease in inflammation in overweight individuals. (6)
Benefits of Eating Sprouts in Breakfast
An easy way to make sure you get your sprouts every day is to eat them for breakfast!
Sprouts are a good source of vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin show to improve bone health. (7) Pairing them with a healthy fat source can help increase the bioavailability of vitamin K.
Here are a few tasty sprout/fat combination ideas to get you inspired:
Top avocado toast with a handful of sprouts.
Blend sprouts into a smoothie that includes MCT oil or coconut milk.
Make a breakfast salad with sprouts, tomatoes, and any other vegetables you have on hand. Top with a fried or scrambled egg.
Add sprouts to a breakfast burrito or egg sandwich for a bit of extra crunch!
Get creative with how you add sprouts to your favorite dishes. Once you get into the rhythm of making them at home, you’ll have access to an incredible whole-foods ‘supplement’ that costs just pennies a day!
Have you ever tried sprouting? Do you want to? Share your sprouting experience below.
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.
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