Alfalfa sprouts are commonly sprinkled on food or sandwiches and mixed with salads. These sprouts come from the alfalfa plant and are eaten within four to seven days of germination. Alfalfa sprouts are available year round and are easy to grow.
Nutritional values are based on a one cup serving of raw alfalfa sprouts.
Basic Nutrition
One cup of raw alfalfa sprouts contains 10 calories, 1.3 g of total carbohydrates and 0.8 g of dietary fiber. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, these measurements represent less than 1 percent of the recommended daily value, or DV, for carbohydrates and 3 percent for dietary fiber. One cup also contains 1 g of protein.
Calories
Alfalfa sprouts are low in calories, with only 10 g per serving. Protein accounts for 3.2 calories, carbohydrates account for 2.5 and the remaining calories come from fat.
Fats
There is very little fat in alfalfa sprouts. One cup contains 0.2 g of fat, with less than 0.1 g being saturated fat. You'll also gain minimal heart-healthy fatty acids of 57.8 mg of omega-3s and 77.2 mg of omega-6s.
Vitamins
Alfalfa sprouts are a good source of vitamin K, with 10.1 mg, or 13 percent DV. There are 2.7 mg of vitamin C, or 5 percent DV and 11.9 mcg of folate, or 3 percent DV. Other vitamins with 1 to 2 percent DV each include vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and panthothenic acid.
Minerals
There is very little mineral content in alfalfa sprouts. One serving contains 3 percent DV of manganese and copper, 2 percent DV of iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, and 1 percent DV of calcium and potassium.
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