Sprouts

How to Sprout Lentils
healthy living

How to Sprout Lentils (and Why You'd Even Want To)

Alfalfa sprouts add a fresh-tasting crunch to your salad or sandwich, but if you're freaked out about buying sprouts at the grocery store or choosing them from the salad bar because of salmonella, listeria, or E.
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Alfalfa sprouts add a fresh-tasting crunch to your salad or sandwich, but if you're freaked out about buying sprouts at the grocery store or choosing them from the salad bar because of salmonella, listeria, or E. coli, you can ease your worries and get the nutrition of sprouts by making them at home.

If you've already tried making homegrown alfalfa sprouts, it's time to venture off into the world of lentil sprouts. They're a protein-packed option to eating legumes without the gas-producing effects many people suffer from when eating cooked lentils. Sprouted lentils are not only easier on your belly, but since they don't require any cooking, these gems also offer more vitamins and antioxidants than their boiled buddies.

They're filling and low in calories, so they make a great food if you're watching your waistline. Just one cup contains 82 calories and 6.9 grams of protein, and they're also a decent source of iron, vitamin C, and even a bit of calcium and vitamin A. They taste a little like mild fresh peas and can be added to cold green salads, sandwiches, or cold grain or pasta dishes. They also make great salads on their own. Try this lentil sprout and cucumber salad.

Are you ready to get sprouting? Keep reading to learn the simple instructions for making lentil sprouts.

Why You Should Eat Sprouts
healthy living

All About Sprouts

Many people associate sprouts with those stringy, wormy-looking mung bean sprouts in stir-fry dishes.
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Many people associate sprouts with those stringy, wormy-looking mung bean sprouts in stir-fry dishes. Otherwise, you might think of the bitter alfalfa sprouts used to fill sandwiches. Did you know that sprouting extends to a wide variety of grains, beans, and nuts, and sprouting these food items can tremendously increase nutrition and digestibility? While fairly recent salmonella and E. coli outbreaks have deterred people from eating sprouts, with proper hygienic conditions, you can reap the benefits of sprouts by easily growing them in your own home or buy cooked products with sprouted ingredients.

Sprouting grains, beans, and nuts neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which make digestion and nutrient absorption a difficult process for your body. However, with moist and warm conditions, these hard-shelled seeds, grains, and beans begin to soften, open up, and become phytonutrient-rich. As a result, the sprouting stage of growth makes these foods easily digestible, lower on the glycemic index, and nutrient-packed, having increased levels of vitamins and antioxidants. In addition, sprouted grains and legumes require shorter cooking times, because the tough exterior shell has already broken down during the soaking process.

Read more about sprouts.

Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Salmonella
healthy living

Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Salmonella

There have been many surprising foods linked to salmonella lately, including tainted peanut butter and pistachios.
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There have been many surprising foods linked to salmonella lately, including tainted peanut butter and pistachios. Now government health officials are encouraging people to avoid raw alfalfa sprouts, since they may be contaminated with a strain of salmonella. There have been 31 cases of illness reported since mid-March in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia. Sickness came after people said they consumed raw alfalfa sprouts obtained at restaurants or bought from stores. Since the sprouts were grown in multiple states, the FDA says the seeds used to make the sprouts are contaminated.

So for now, I'd pass on the sprouts in your salad and on your sandwiches.

Source

'Wich of the Week: Avocado and Mango With Cilantro-Lime Mayonnaise
sandwiches

'Wich of the Week: Avocado and Mango With Cilantro-Lime Mayonnaise

When a recipe calls for cilantro, I'm always forced to buy way more than I'll ever need, which leads me on a search for even more cilantro-centric recipes.
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When a recipe calls for cilantro, I'm always forced to buy way more than I'll ever need, which leads me on a search for even more cilantro-centric recipes. That was the catalyst for today's 'Wich of the Week, which features an unorthodox combination of mango and avocado on healthy multigrain bread.

This vegetarian sandwich has a refreshing tropical flavor that's alternately tangy and mild. The creamy avocado balances out the zip of the lime and the sweetness of the mango. I decided to make two versions: one vegetarian and one with ham for the hardcore meat eaters. But we all agreed that the sandwich was better without the ham, since the cold cuts overpowered the more delicate fruits. I do recommend you add some clover sprouts for added texture; just steer clear of the recalled ones!


To get the recipe and step-by-step photos, read more

Recall Warning: Pills in the Fish, Salmonella in the Sprouts
Fish

Recall Warning: Pills in the Fish, Salmonella in the Sprouts

The folks at Gorton's Seafood are recalling their Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets because one customer has found pills in her food.
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The folks at Gorton's Seafood are recalling their Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets because one customer has found pills in her food.

Tracy Rowan of New Freedom, Penn., sat down to eat her fillets only to discover they contained several beige aspirin-sized pills.

The product is being recalled in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The UPC number is #4440015770 and the date code is 7289G1. If you have any of these boxes, you are urged to call Gorton's for a refund at 800-896-9479.

If you're still concerned, the US FDA has more information.

In related news, Salad Cosmo USA is recalling alfalfa sprouts sold in northern and central California and Washington.

Trader Joe's has also recalled tubs of of alfalfa sprouts from Nature's Choice Alfalfa Sprouts.

Both sprout recalls are due to possible salmonella contamination.

Source and Source

To Sprout or Not?
mold

To Sprout or Not?

Anyone who eats raw sprouts, or lightly cooked mung bean sprouts, is at risk for exposure to E.
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Anyone who eats raw sprouts, or lightly cooked mung bean sprouts, is at risk for exposure to E. coli or Salmonella bacteria. Seeds need a dark and moist environment to sprout, so the sprouting process provides ideal conditions for bacteria to grow.

It's a toss up because sprouts are really healthy for you though. They are a living food, so even after you refrigerate them, they will continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content will actually increase. Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods that exist - rich with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes.

If you buy them, choose crisp-looking sprouts with the buds attached - avoid musty-smelling, dark or slimy-looking sprouts. If you keep them in the fridge too long, because their roots stay moist, they can get moldy, so try to eat them right away.

Fit's Tips: Since you never know how old sprouts are when you buy them at the store, you could always grow your own. Buy your seeds and sprouters at sproutpeople.com. Unfortunately, this doesn't cut your risk because the seeds themselves could be contaminated.