Super simple way to grow your own greens

By Mercedes Kay Gold, CNP, CPT

Sprouting is as easy as 1-2-3! Gardens are dug up and all signs of green are gone, and fresh is not far away with sprouting! Sprouting is alive, and one of the easiest foods you can grown indoors. A mason jar on a ledge provides an array of antioxidants within days, without breaking the bank!
Sprouting is tasty and healthy! Try a few things to start off. Alfalfa, broccoli, clover, and radish are great salad and sandwich toppers, but there’s loads of legumes to fall in love with, too.
Sprouts are stupendous. They are low in calories and even more nutrient-dense than produce. They are richer in protein, folate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and even vitamin C and K than-sprouted plants! For those with digestive distress, sprouts are spot-on. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle, and sprouts are small, but mighty. There also may be links to improved blood sugar and heart health as well, but more studies are needed.
This fabulous fresh burst of summer garden goodness is a top-notch on an avocado, salad, sandwich, pita or just as a snack by the handful. Seeds are a farm-to-table tool teaching kids about the process of growing plants, too!
Local healthy food markets and supplement stores sell packets of sprouting seeds, lids and mason jars. Traditionally, a cheesecloth and an elastic band over the top of the mason jar was used, but today, buying a draining lid to fit a mason jar is so much easier!

Let’s Sprout!

1. Add 2 tbsp of your favorite seeds to a ½ gallon mason jar.
2. Cover with filtered water.
3. Soak at least 4 hours. Check the sprouting package. Sprouts vary.
4. Turn over and drain. Roll the jar on the counter so slews of seeds attach to the sides. *Turn upside down. Leave it that way.
5. Every morning and night cover with water and turn upside down, letting the water drain out continuously. *Leave it upside down.
6. You should begin to see sprouts within a few days.
7. The seeds will be about 1/8 – 2 inches in length, depending on the type of seed sprouted. Rinse well, drain, dump, and spread out on a paper towel to dry. Put in the fridge to store, but make sure they are dry.
8. Eat and enjoy for up to 7 days when stored in the fridge!
9. It’s great to have a few jars going at different points to ensure there’s tons on hand!

*Lids with prongs are propped up and drain well, otherwise tip the container sideways in a bowl or use a sprouting stand.

Mercedes Kay Gold is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Holistic Nutritionist who loves helping others live their best life when not spending time with her children and grandson, Theodore. She can be reached at mercedeskaygoldfitness@gmail.com 

Photo credit: © NoDerog via Canva.com