You can eat sprouts grown from nearly any seed, including alfalfa, wheat, clover, soybeans, lentils, watercress, dill, sunflowers, beans, peas or radishes. All sprouts are rich in fiber and protein, while specific vitamins and mineral content depends on the type of sprout. Use sprouts to add flavor, nutrition, variety and crunch to nearly any dish, or snack on handfuls of fresh sprouts.
Drinks
A juicer is a useful tool for making healthful drinks with sprouts. A juicer with an extractor is the best way to get the most juice from the sprouts. Juice your sprouts along with apples, carrots, beets or oranges.
Salads
Stir sprouts into a tossed green salad or make a sprout salad using a variety of sprouts and a light vinaigrette dressing. You can also add sprouts to cole slaw or make a salad by combining sprouts with broccoli, chopped pineapple, grapes and a dressing of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. Add bean sprouts to an Asian-style salad made of crab, shrimp, chow mein noodles and onions with a dressing of soy sauce, lemon juice and ginger. Or sprinkle sprouts on top of your favorite potato salad.
Sandwiches and Breads
Add a few sprouts to any hot or cold meat or vegetable sandwich, or use sprouts in place of lettuce. Create sandwiches with crusty whole-grain bread, or roll the sandwich filling and sprouts in tortilla shells. To add sprouts to homemade breads in any recipe, substitute 1 cup of sprouts in place of 1/2 cup of liquid and 1/2 cup of flour.
Vegetables and Soups
Sprinkle a few sprouts on top of any vegetable side dish. You can also combine sprouts with vegetables in any Asian-style stir-fry, or stir-fry mixed sprouts with minced ginger, minced garlic and soy sauce. Serve the stir-fry over rice or noodles. You can also stir sprouts into vegetable soup, bean soup or minestrone. Add the sprouts to soup just before eating so the sprouts remain crispy and crunchy.
Sprout Safety
Improperly handled sprouts may contain bacteria that can cause serious illness. Buy sprouts located only in the refrigerated section of your supermarket and never use sprouts stored at room temperature. Never buy sprouts after the expiration date marked on the package. Rinse sprouts thoroughly just before you use them. Refrigerate homegrown sprouts as soon as they reach harvest stage and never allow sprouts to remain at room temperature. Store sprouts, including homegrown sprouts, in the refrigerator for up to three or four days. If you eat sprouts outdoors, keep the sprouts in a cooler.
References
- University of Florida IFAS Extension; Sprouts: Safe Handling Practices for Consumers; Amy Simmone
- USA Emergency Supply: Growing and Using Sprouts
- Oregon State University Extension; Grow Your Own Vegetable Sprouts; N.S. Mansour
- Sprout People: Sweet Sprout Slaw
- Sprout People: Pea Shoot Stir Fry
- Sprout People: Asian Seafood and Sprout Salad
- Virginia Cooperative Extension; Sprouting Seeds for Foods; Diane Relf
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