Sprouts You Should Be Growing

By Ashleigh Smith

In honor of the recent snow storms and harsh cold weather across the country I thought I would share some of the easiest sprouts to grow from your very own kitchen counter. We have talked about sprouts quite a bit over the years, but it isn’t without reason. Sprouts are some of the most nutritious forms to consume plants in.

Because of their young growth stage their nutrient content is simply amazing. They are also easy to use as you can consume them as is, on sandwiches, in wraps, added to salads, etc. Recently we were invited to write a guest blog about salad greens. There we dove into how you can really spice up your salad routine with the type of greens you use, including sprouts. But the variety of all that is out there can get pretty overwhelming if you aren’t familiar with some of the basics and why you should use them.
Here are some of the go to sprouting seeds:

Alfalfa - This small, crunchy, and mildly flavored seed is loved for its variety of uses. Because it is mildly flavored you don’t need to worry about it taking over the dish it is being used in. It can also be used to simply add a pleasant crunch without changing the desired flavor of your food.

Beet - While Alfalfa is used for its mild flavor Beet sprouts are used for their color. Beets have a beautiful and natural red color that is also present in their sprouts. As much as some people like to think taste is all that matters when it comes to food, appearance also plays a role in how we enjoy our meals.

Broccoli - Broccoli sprouts don’t taste like their mature counterparts. In their sprout form they have a bolder spicy taste and high antioxidant content. This means that they are not only delicious but extremely good for your health.