Kale. Açai. Kefir. They’ve all been heralded as the revolutionary new superfood. The latest in line? The humble sprout. Yep, you know those little baby plants — the ones that germinate and grow from soaked seeds, nuts, legumes, or grains. They pack a powerful punch.
Although ‘superfood’ is essentially a marketing term, it describes a nutrient-dense food that provides positive nutrition to our diets, like fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein, and Omega 3. Alex and Anna, the brains behind The Biting Truth, say, “There are certain foods that we could be adding to our diets to give it a nutritional boost and sprouts would be one of them.”
Sprouts have an immense amount of benefits for our health. They’re incredibly nutrient-dense, according to Alex and Anna, and include “folate, iron, vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, and amino acids.” Sprouts are also renowned for what they’re low in: Kilojoules, total and saturated fat, and sodium.
Oh, and if that wasn’t enough sprouts are rich in fibre (explains the crunch), and specific sprouts are rich in phytoestrogens. And if you’re wondering what they are, “research to date indicates that phytoestrogens may protect us against certain types of cancers, including breast and prostate cancers,” explain Alex and Anna.
If you’re wondering what the best way is to incorporate them into your diet, Alex and Anna say they add sprouts to their meals as often as possible. Not just because they’re nutritional powerhouses, but also as “they add flavour, crunch and a bit of fun!”
Whether raw or cooked, they personally enjoy adding snow pear sprouts to eggs or toast; alfalfa sprouts to a salad or sandwich; and to stir-fries, rice dishes, omelettes, soups and noodle dishes for dinner. For a snack (or even to sprinkle on top of dishes as an edible garnish!), Alex and Anna recommend Crunchy Combo from Aussie Sprouts.
Sprout Recipes
Looking for a step-by-step guide on how to include sprouts into your diet? We’ve got two right here for you.
☆ Sprout Ratatouille: This recipe from Sarah MacDonald is vegan-friendly, full of plant protein, fibre and so many veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 packet Aussie Sprouts crunchy combo sprouts
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 cup roughly chopped kale or baby spinach leaves
- 1 sachet/tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (or one normal tomato, roughly chopped)
- ½ tbsp Mexican or Cajun seasoning mix
- ½ tbsp sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant.
- Add the zucchini, tomatoes, sprouts and spices and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and 1-2 cups of water, until there is about 1-2cm liquid in the pan.
- Simmer, adding more liquid as required to maintain the same level of liquid, until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the kale or spinach and stir through for a few minutes until it wilts.
- Serve and enjoy! Feel free to add fresh avo and herbs on top.
☆ Sprout, Tofu And Rainbow Vegetable Bowl: Another delicious recipe from Sarah MacDonald, this bowl is packed full of veggies and colour.
Ingredients
- ¼ block firm tofu
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ Lebanese cucumber
- 3-4 Cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup Aussie Sprouts Crunchy Combo
- 1 tbsp of sauerkraut
- ½ cup of chopped kale
Method
- To make the tofu: cube the firm tofu and press lightly in paper towel to remove excess water.
- Place in a bowl with 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes, then fry for 3-4 minutes each side in a non-stick pan.
- Finely slice the Lebanese cucumber and slice the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Add the sprouts, sauerkraut and chopped kale to the bowl.
- Add the tofu, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.