Though small, sprouts pack a daily boost of vitality and energy for the body
Sprouts: Living, Natural Nutrition
Sprouts come from germinating seeds. During germination, they need neither soil nor sunlight; the seed releases all its energy to grow into a complete plant. For this reason, all of the seed's life energy and nutritional essence is concentrated in the tiny sprout, making it remarkably rich in vitamins and minerals.
For example, mung bean sprouts actually contain 2 times the vitamin C of kiwifruit and 5 times that of oranges. At the same time, sprouts are also rich in many valuable phytonutrients. For instance, people in Taiwan, China often say to eat cauliflower to fight cancer, because cauliflower is rich in the anti-cancer factor sulforaphane.
But according to medical research at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, broccoli sprouts actually contain 20-50 times the sulforaphane of cauliflower. The antioxidants in purple cabbage sprouts and radish sprouts are also much higher than in the grown purple cabbage and white radish! For this reason, Professor Cheng Cheng-yung and Dr. Lin Pi-hsia of the Department of Horticulture at National Taiwan University believe that in Taiwan, China, sprouts are a severely undervalued vegetable.
Here, let us briefly share three major benefits of eating sprouts.
Sprouts: The Best Natural Source of Complete Enzymes
When talking about the benefits of sprouts, one cannot help but mention enzymes.
Enzymes, also called ferments, are catalysts that drive the various biochemical reactions within living organisms. The often-discussed papaya and pineapple enzymes, for example, have strong protein- and fat-breaking abilities. And what about sprouts in their growing state? They possess a complete array of enzymes needed to sustain a life!
Let us imagine together: it is precisely by relying on their living enzyme system that sprouts can complete, within just a few days, a complicated chain of processes - growing roots, pushing out tender shoots, developing tender stems, and unfurling tender leaves. For this reason, when we ordinarily eat fresh living sprouts, we are taking in their abundant enzymes!
Sprouts: Spreading Out the Risk of Nitrate Intake
People often say not to eat too many sausages! That is because sausages contain the food additive nitrate, which under certain conditions can be converted into the carcinogen nitrosamine.
However, what is often overlooked is that in Taiwan, China, the nitrate content of leafy vegetables is often tens to hundreds of times higher than these processed meats, and its impact on human health may be even greater. Replacing some leafy vegetables with sprouts can reduce this risk. Why?
In fact, nitrate is a substance that originally exists in nature and is commonly found in vegetables. But because most producers in Taiwan, China, in order to speed up vegetable growth and increase yields, have become accustomed to using excessive nitrogen fertilizer, the nitrate content of leafy vegetables in Taiwan, China, is often far above the standards set by the European Union.
Therefore, in our daily diet, eating sprouts - which require no soil and use no fertilizer - leaves no nitrate residue problem at all, and can effectively spread out the risk of excessive nitrate intake!
Having briefly learned about sprouts' highly concentrated nutrition, complete natural enzymes, and zero nitrate residue, do you feel like eating more sprouts?
Still, please note that some commercially sold sprouts have problems with added growth hormones, bleaching agents, and root-killing agents. So it is recommended that you start growing sprouts yourself, or choose a trustworthy sprout producer/retailer.
Eat More Sprouts, Eat Good Sprouts!
Many people, when they receive Green Vine sprouts, first ask: "How should this box of sprouts be eaten?" We often ask ourselves this question too: is there a recipe that lets consumers cook easily at home, while being both delicious and preserving the rich nutritional value of sprouts?
Today we are going to share with you the recipe for the "Green Vine Vitality Sprout Roll," which once set a single-day sales record of over a hundred rolls during a World Earth Day event, so you can easily make a delicious, enzyme- and nutrient-packed, low-calorie sprout dish at home too.
Ingredients (for 1 roll):
• 1 sheet of Vietnamese spring roll wrapper
• 1 pinch of broccoli sprouts (about 15 g), 1 pinch of alfalfa sprouts (about 30 g)
• 1-2 julienned cucumbers, 1-2 leaves of Thai basil
• 1-2 Japanese crab sticks (shrimp also works!)
• Sauce: mix fish sauce and boiled water at a 1 to 1 ratio, add an appropriate amount of lemon juice according to personal sourness preference; those who like garlic flavor can also mince garlic and mix it into the sauce. Vegetarian friends are advised to season with vegetarian floss!
Tools:
2 large round plates - one for boiled water, the other kept dry as the sprout roll work surface
Three Steps to Make a Vitality Sprout Roll!
1. Take out the Vietnamese spring roll wrapper and place it in the plate of boiled water. Press lightly with your fingertips so the wrapper is evenly moistened, then place the moistened wrapper on the dry plate.
2. In order, place the broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, crab stick and Thai basil on the wrapper. If you like a stronger flavor, you can brush on the sauce at this point!
3. Fold the wrapper from top to bottom to cover the filling, then fold the left and right sides toward the middle. Press gently with your fingertips to shape the sprout roll, then roll it downward. The Vitality Sprout Roll is done - dip it in the sauce and enjoy!
With such a fresh sprout roll, when you bite into it you can feel the crispness of the sprouts, the chew of the cucumber, and the sauce-absorbing, springy wrapper. Among Green Vine's sprout dishes, it is the most popular with children! More importantly, the rich nutrition and enzymes of the sprouts are all right there in your mouth!
Image credits for this article / Green Vine