2 great ways to add sprouts to your diet!

by Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy

I’ve gone through many sprouting phases in my life – on my handlebars and backpack on long biking and hiking trips, on my kitchen counter when I didn’t have a garden or year-round access to fresh veggies, and now with my kids as an ongoing science experiment. Sprouting is awesome – the seeds become easier to digest (starch and phytates are broken down), and they are packed full of anti-oxidants, protein, vitamins and minerals. In short, they are a super-food. Sprouting is easy to do, affordable and so satisfying for parents and kids alike to watch them grown. Our kids love creating experiments around which seeds will be the tastiest, and grow the fastest, and like to track the growth daily – ready made science fair project!

There are two easy ways to get sprouting:

1. Mason jar sprouter:

You will need:

• wide-mouth mason jars with outer portion of lid (it needs to be wide-mouth to allow for drainage)
• screen or cheesecloth (I bought some stainless steel screens on etsy)
• sprouting seeds (I like Mumm’s organic sprouting seeds, available at Donald’s Market in New Westminster – the only ones I haven’t had luck with are their broccoli sprouts)

How to do it:

• place 2 Tbsp of sprouting seeds in the mason jar, cover with water, and allow to sit overnight
• in morning drain water out, place jars at an angle on a rounded plate or bowl to allow for residual drainage
• rinse with water morning and night, placing jars back on rounded plate/bowl each time to allow for drainage
• when sprouts are ready to eat (3-4 days), enjoy them right away, or transfer to a container in the fridge to keep them fresh

2. Biosta countertop sprouter

You will need:

• Biosta (or other countertop) sprouter – Biosta is BPA-free and is a great find, we have just opted to have a plastic-free kitchen so have switched to the jar method
• Sprouting seeds

How to do it:

• place a Tbsp of sprouting seeds on each tray
• pour water into top tray morning and night – it will trickle through each tray and collect at the bottom (to be poured out each time)
• enjoy the sprouts after 3-4 days