Saturday, June 18, 2011

Broccoli Sprouts; A True Superfood

Before I talk about broccoli sprouts I wanted to give you an update on our summer garden!

It all started indoors......


We kept the seedlings inside for several weeks before planting them outside (the weather this year has been so crazy, we were so scared to finally plant them outside!).



Now that the seedlings are outdoors they are growing fast. Keep in mind most of the greens you see in the picture below are weeds. If you look closely you can see that we have put some wooden pegs up to denote the rows where we planted the seedlings. We planted spinach, cantaloupe, and butternut squash.


And of course you can't have a summer garden without tomato! We also planted cilantro, but it's not growing because there is not much sun where we planted them. Bummer.





Now onto the post.....

BROCCOLI SPROUTS



From Wikepedia;

Sprouting is the practice of germinating seeds to be eaten either raw or cooked. They are a convenient way to have fresh vegetables for salads, or otherwise, in any season and can be germinated at home or produced industrially. Sprouts are believed to be highly nutritious and rich in enzymes which promote good health.

After the e. coli outbreak in Germany, which was eventually linked to bean sprouts, many people might be afraid to eat sprouts. You shouldn't be afraid of sprouts, but there are certain groups who should avoid sprouts, or who should at least cook them well, and that is pregnant women, children, elderly, and those with a compromised immune system (read this article to learn a bit more about sprouts and food-borne illness).

So what is so great about broccoli sprouts? If you get the ADA Times, you may already know because they were highlighted in an article in the latest newsletter. Here are some nutritional highlights:

  • Compared to broccoli, they contain 100 times more of an antioxidant compound called sulphoraphane, which may inhibit the growth of breast stem cells and prostate tumors.
  • Sulphoraphane may also reduce cardiac cell death and oxidative damage (oxidation of LDL cholesterol is what leads to inflammation, and eventually heart disease).
  • One study showed that broccoli sprouts may actually help reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
  • One half cup provides an excellent source of vitamin C, as well as some calcium, vitamin A and vitamin E
  • They are a low calorie, nutrient dense food that could easily be added to a smoothie, salad, wrap, pizza or pasta dish.

Would you like some recipes for broccoli sprouts? Check out Sunrise Farms and Brocco Sprouts.



This salad was made with spinach, fresh blueberries, hard-boiled egg, broccoli sprouts, and some EVOO + blueberry balsamic vinegar.


QUESTION: Have you ever tried broccoli sprouts? What's your favorite way to consume them? I like to add broccoli sprouts to pita pockets and salads (I haven't tried the smoothie idea yet, but I am planning on it).


The Washington Post recently posted an article about the benefits of sprouts, which you can read here.
Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be....at work :)

21 comments :

  1. Great info! I love broccoli sprouts! I usually keep it simple and just add them to salads...but I also juice them and put them in smoothies (it's easy to tell when I've added too many---gross!). I usually have three sprout jars going at all times...
    Thanks for the link to recipes :)

    Have a great weekend!

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  2. I have never tried them and ou have put my mind at ease concerning the outbreak. You have a lovely garden! have a wonderful weekend!

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  3. Ooooh, I love sprouts of all kind! Sunflower sprouts are my favorite-- so big and crunchy!

    Your garden looks great!!

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  4. oh I bet these would be a great addition to baked spring rolls! http://www.simplylifeblog.com/2011/04/baked-spring-rolls.html

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  5. love your garden! it has come quite a long way from when you started it......yes broccolli sprouts are awesome!

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  6. I've never done broccoli sprouts but I just recently did alfalfa and red clover sprouts. It's so fun to watch the little things grow!

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  7. I am a big fan of sprouts!! easy way to add "crunch" and nutrition to a sandwich/wrap :D

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  8. I love eating sprouts on salads or in sandwiches. I used to sprout a lot when I was in India, I have stopped since I have come here, will start now. Love how your veg garden is shaping up.

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  9. OH those are broccoli sprouts!? seriously all this time of my life i just thought they were regular sprouts idk what kind but just sprouts, but they also gross me out because my local produce shop has them just out and you have to use a picker-upper to pick them up so its like a community broccoli sprout bin..kind of gross.

    also you just reminded me that today i am DEFINITELY planting my little herb garden that my grammy got me for christmas!

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  10. Look at your garden, that's amazing. What have I done while all that has been growing. I know broc sprout nutrition but I don't go out of my way for them. If I could grow my own maybe I would.

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  11. Your garden looks great, Gina! I love cantaloupe and I can't wait until we can grow our own. And what garden would be complete without tomatoes?? Glad to hear your plants are growing like *ahem* weeds ;)

    I don't eat sprouts that often, but if I notice that they're fresh in the market, I'll pick up broccoli sprouts or a mixture of sprouts. I've eaten them in salads and on pizza (yum!), but I haven't tried the smoothie idea, either. Let us know how it is! I'm curious if you can taste them in the smoothie. I've thought about growing sprouts myself - but, I obviously haven't looked into it enough to actually do it :P

    Have a wonderful week, Gina!

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  12. I love broccoli sprouts! They add a nice texture to salads and wraps.

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  13. Broccoli sprouts are my favorite kind of sprouts! Well...actually my favorite are the kind that go in Asian dishes...can't remember what they're called, but they're yum!

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  14. What a great post! Younger I used to hate them, but have since grown to love them. Like Krista mentioned in the comments, wraps and salads are my fav ways to use them.

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  15. You know, I don't know that I've ever had broccoli sprouts. To be honest, after the whole ordeal in Germany, I got scared! And when places like Jimmy Johns stopped serving them all together, I thought it just raised major flags. I am going to read that article now, though...I looove sprouts! They're definitely a favorite salad ingredient of mine!

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  16. I haven't had broccoli sprouts. I love alfalfa sprouts though, which I love in sandwiches. Do broccoli sprouts taste much different?

    I am so envious of your garden! Sigh.

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  17. Love this post, and love broccoli sprouts! I must grow some soon!!! (we used to have a plot in a community garden, and grew them there) Have a great week Gina!

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  18. I love sprouts! However I still have haunting memories from high school when I made these puff pastries with spouts in them - and found a CATERPILLER inside. ugggggh! Now I always keep a watchful eye on my sprouts for creepy crawlies!

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  19. Thanks for sharing about those sprouts. I have not had them but I will be trying them soon!

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  20. You ought to do a post on the difference between alfafa sprouts and broccoli sprouts. They look so similar! Growing our own sprouts is a good idea so we won't have to worry about the diseases. I usually try to add the broccoli sprouts in salads to add some crunchiness :)

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