Sprouted Beans: Storehouse of Nutrition

Bean sprouts not only have fresh flavor, but also taste good. You may sprout all seeds, but you will find outstanding nutritional value in the legume family. What is sprouting? Wikipedia says, 'sprouting is the practice of soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they germinate, or sprout.

Any Legume Bean is Sufficient

You will find bean sprouts in vegetable shops and super malls in India. If not available, you may prepare sprouted beans using cluster bean, green (mung) gram, horse gram, chickpea (channa), cowpea, peanut, fenugreek, green pea, lentil, soya bean, red kidney bean (rajma) etc. and the sprouts could be eaten raw or cooked. You must use absolutely fresh bean sprouts. Take extreme caution while you prepare bean sprouting. Sometimes the warmth and humidity needed may also be helpful to the growth of harmful bacteria. Use them soon after preparation or purchase, since they taste sour. Avoid the older ones.

Nutritional Value

There are 27 calories in 100g of bean sprouts and its nutritional value includes protein - 2.3; carbohydrate - 3.2; fat - 0.6 and fiber - 1.2. The bean sprouts are rich in vitamin A, the vitamin B complex, vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as various minerals amino acids, phytochemicals and enzymes. They are very good to protect against cancer, fatigue and the immune system.

Sprouting Process Synthesize Nutritional Values

The dieticians have found that germinated or sprouted beans contain high nutritional value than the dried bean seeds. The sprouting process increases protein content and helps in the synthesis of A, B and C vitamins, and minerals; simultaneously the bean seeds loose the calorific and carbohydrate values substantially. So you are just able to prepare and get the concentration of protein, vitamins, minerals and enzymes from your dried bean seeds.

Raw Food Diet - Be Cautious

If you are impressed with the nutritional value you may consume bean sprouts as a raw food diet. Be warned that some beans have certain toxins which may give you some stomach problems. You start with cooked bean sprouts. Occasionally taste small amount of raw bean sprouts. If you could not notice any digestive problem, continue to consume in lesser quantities.

Recipe 1

Sprouted Salad (Indian Style)

1) Mixed Sprouts - 1 Cup

(What ever seed available?)

2) Grated vegetables:(optional) - 1 Cup

(Carrot, Cabbage, beet root)

3) Grated coconut (optional) - as required

4) Onion - finely chopped - ¼ Cup

5) Green chilly - chopped - 1-2 Nos

6) Coriander leaves - chopped - as required

7) Curry leaves - chopped - as required

8) Garlic - 1-2 Nos

9) Mustard seeds - ½ Tsp

10) Olive oil or Sun flower oil - 1 Tsp

11) Lemon Juice (to taste) - 1-2 Tsp

12) Turmeric powder - as required

13) Black pepper powder - as required

14) Salt (Crystal salt-To taste) - as required

Method

1) Warm oil in a frying pan

2) Add mustard, turmeric powder

3) Add onion, garlic, chilly

4) Add grated vegetable and sprouts

5) Saute for 3 minutes

6) Add lemon juice

7) Spread coriander and curry leaves

8) Serve hot

References

1) Bean Sprouts
http://www.recopezaar.com.library/getentry.zsp?id=198

2) Bean Sprouts
Good-quality Bean Sprouts will be crisp-looking, almost dry and bright-white. ... in the Book of Daniel, it took centuries for the West to fully realize
its nutrition ...

http://www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Vegetables/BeanSprouts.html

3) Bean Sprouts
Welcome to Bean Sprout Nirvana. Learn, buy or just dream. Beans are crunchy ... It cooks in a fraction of the time of dry beans, has more flavor and
nutrition and is just an all ...

http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/beans.html

4) Bean Sprouts: Definitions from Answers.com
Food and Nutrition: bean sprouts. Any of a number of peas, beans, and seeds which can be germinated and the ...

http://www.answers.com/topic/bean-sprouts

5) How Many Calories in Bean Sprouts

Bean Sprouts calories and nutritional information. ... Table 1 shows calories in 100g of Bean Sprouts and its nutrition information.

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories-in-food/veg/Bean-Sprouts.htm

6) Sprouting - Wikipedia

Mung Bean sprouts have B vitamin increases, compared to the dry seeds, ....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouting