Before I talk about broccoli sprouts I wanted to give you an update on our summer garden!
It all started indoors……
We kept the seedlings inside for several weeks before planting them outside (the weather this year has been so crazy, we were so scared to finally plant them outside!).
Now that the seedlings are outdoors they are growing fast. Keep in mind most of the greens you see in the picture below are weeds. If you look closely you can see that we have put some wooden pegs up to denote the rows where we planted the seedlings. We planted spinach, cantaloupe, and butternut squash.
And of course you can’t have a summer garden without tomato! We also planted cilantro, but it’s not growing because there is not much sun where we planted them. Bummer.
Now onto the post…..
BROCCOLI SPROUTS
From Wikepedia;
Sprouting is the practice of germinating seeds to be eaten either raw or cooked. They are a convenient way to have fresh vegetables for salads, or otherwise, in any season and can be germinated at home or produced industrially. Sprouts are believed to be highly nutritious and rich in enzymes which promote good health.
After the e. coli outbreak in Germany, which was eventually linked to bean sprouts, many people might be afraid to eat sprouts. You shouldn’t be afraid of sprouts, but there are certain groups who should avoid sprouts, or who should at least cook them well, and that is pregnant women, children, elderly, and those with a compromised immune system (read this article to learn a bit more about sprouts and food-borne illness).
So what is so great about broccoli sprouts? If you get the ADA Times, you may already know because they were highlighted in an article in the latest newsletter. Here are some nutritional highlights:
- Compared to broccoli, they contain 100 times more of an antioxidant compound called sulphoraphane, which may inhibit the growth of breast stem cells and prostate tumors.
- Sulphoraphane may alsoreduce cardiac cell death and oxidative damage (oxidation of LDL cholesterol is what leads to inflammation, and eventually heart disease).
- One study showed that broccoli sprouts may actually help reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
- One half cup provides an excellent source of vitamin C,as well as some calcium, vitamin A and vitamin E
- They are a low calorie, nutrient dense food that could easily be added to a smoothie, salad, wrap, pizza or pasta dish.
Would you like some recipes for broccoli sprouts? Check out Sunrise Farms and Brocco Sprouts.
This salad was made with spinach, fresh blueberries, hard-boiled egg, broccoli sprouts, and some EVOO + blueberry balsamic vinegar.
