Packed with fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals, there’s no doubt that legumes like lentils, peas, beans and chickpeas are good for you.
But there’s something even better than a legume, and that’s a sprouted legume.
Mullumbimby naturopath Ruth Hanrahan, who grows a variety of legume sprouts for the Sproutlovers stall at Mullumbimby Farmers Markets, which are sold by her partner Michael, says that when a seed sprouts, there is a huge increase in it’s enzyme activity and vitamin levels. Sprouting also makes the seed easier to digest, which means our bodies are better able to absorb the goodness it contains.
“Sprouted foods acquire vastly improved digestibility and nutritional qualities compared to the non-sprouted seed or legume,” said Ruth.
So although they’re small, sprouts are little powerhouses of nutrition, offering highly concentrated levels vitamins, minerals antioxidants and enzymes.
Chickpeas, blue peas, puy lentils, beluga lentils, red lentils, adzuki beans, mung beans and fenugreek are among the varieties of sprouts Ruth regularly grows, although she sometimes adds varieties of non-legume sprouts like clover and alfalfa to the mix. Ruth also makes crunchy, juicy activated almonds, soaked for two days, again to make them more digestible and to maximise their nutrition.
Ruth says her sprouts have subtle flavours – the peas are sweet, lentils slightly earthy, while the fenugreek has a touch of curry and spice. The fenugreek is particularly good during the winter months, says Ruth, as it is a lymphatic cleanser and is helpful in clearing mucus congestion and easing respiratory problems.
Ruth says it’s easy to add sprouts to your everyday diet. You can throw a handful into your salad, sprinkle them on avocado toast, add them to your stir fry just before serving, or sprinkle them on soup. Sprouts are also great in kids’ lunch boxes, or dressed with a little lemon juice olive oil and salt and pepper for a tasty and healthy snack during the day. You can even make a supercharged sprouted hummus by replacing ordinary chickpeas for sprouted chickpeas.
Find Sproutlovers at the Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday.
