Sprouting Success and Update!

Hi everybody,

I know, it's been well over a month since I've written. I have been busy with food, nutrition, and all the wonderful bits I like to share with you all--as a result, I will have plenty to update you with weekly. First of all, I want to inform you that I have had a sprouting success. It happened way back in April. I decided to sprout mung beans! Folks, they're so easy, and so delicious!!!

You take 1/4 cup of mung beans and soak them in a 2-cup size mason jar (fill the jar almost to the top). Close the lid and instead of using the jarring top, line it with cheese cloth. Soak for 24 hours. Drain well (the cheese cloth is an awesome strainer). Then each morning and each night, rinse the sprouting mung beans well. Be sure to drain well. I rest the jar on its side on a small shelf and then place a bowl under it to catch any excess water. In less than a week, you will have delicious sprouts!

The nutrients of sprouts compared to their non-sprouted counterpart increase exponentially. Here is a breakdown of the increase in nutrients that mung bean sprouts have compared to mung beans (source: sproutnet.com)

Energy content - calories	Decrease 15 per cent.
Total carbohydrate content	Decrease 15 per cent
Protein availability	Increase 30 per cent
Calcium content	Increase 34 per cent
Potassium content	Increase 80 per cent
Sodium content	Increase 690 per cent
Iron content	Increase 40 per cent
Phosphorous content	Increase 56 per cent
Vitamin A content	Increase 285 per cent
Thiamine or Vitamin B1 content	Increase 208 per cent
Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 content	Increase 515 per cent
Niacin or Vitamin B3 content	Increase 256 per cent
Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C content	An infinite increase

I hope you all try this out! In my next blog update, you will learn about my container gardens!!!