Mung Bean Sprouts Nutrition

Mung bean sprouts have been part of Asian cuisine for centuries. The long, white sprouts come from a small, green-colored seed. You can buy them in many conventional grocery stores as well as in natural food stores and ethnic grocery stores. You also can sprout the seeds yourself in the convenience of your own kitchen. Sprouts are considered a "superfood" because of their high nutrient qualities.

Definition of Mung Bean Sprouts

Sprouts are vegetable seeds that have just begun growing. Mung bean sprouts are one of the few sprouts that can withstand cooking. Before sprouting, mung bean seeds are small, green and oval-shaped. When they sprout, they have a silvery-white shoot and small, white leaves. They are crunchy and produce a slight nutty flavor.

Raw Mung Bean Sprouts

To obtain the most nutrition from mung bean sprouts, consume them raw. One cup of raw mung bean sprouts contains only 31 calories and 3 grams of protein. One cup also contains 43 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin K, 23 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, 16 percent of the daily value of folate and 10 percent of the daily value of manganese. Sprouted mung beans also have smaller amounts of vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, copper and zinc. The sprouts have an amino acid score of 67 out of 100, meaning they do not contain all nine of the essential amino acids that make up protein. However, consuming other foods with amino acids will compensate.

Cooked Mung Bean Sprouts

Mung beans are often cooked in stir fries or boiled in water. One cup of sprouted mung beans boiled in water without salt and drained contains 26 calories and 3 grams of protein. When the mung beans are cooked, the vitamin K content drops to 35 percent of the recommended daily value, while vitamin C remains around 24 percent. The mung beans still contain smaller amounts of other vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid. These ingredients provide 3 percent to 9 percent of their individual recommended daily values. Minerals copper, manganese, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron are also present in small amounts.

Uses

You can use raw Mung bean sprouts in salads, sandwiches and green smoothies. They are often included in Asian flavored stir fries as well as soups, sprouted bread loafs and marinated vegetables.

Home Sprouting

Many people choose to grow their own sprouts at home. Home sprouting saves money, and it allows you to harvest the sprouts and consume them immediately to obtain maximum nutritional benefits. To grow them at home, you will need to purchase the raw sprout seeds. Soak the beans in a jar of purified, clean water for 12 hours, then drain the beans and rinse thoroughly with water. Return the beans to the jar and cover with a cloth. Rinse and drain the beans one or two times a day. Continue to rinse and drain the sprouts until the sprouts are at least 1/4 or 1/2 inch long. You can keep them growing longer if desired.