Monday, June 8, 2015

Health Benefits of Mung Bean Sprouts

If you've never eaten Mung Bean Sprouts then you are seriously missing out on these delicious and nutritious treats!

Mung Bean Sprouts take 3 to 6 days to sprout and they're EASY to grow!

Mung Bean sprouts according to Livestrong:
Mung bean sprouts have a low calorie density, or energy density, with only 31 calories per 104 g serving. Low energy-dense foods can help you lose weight or prevent weight gain because they are relatively low in calories compared to their serving size, so you can fill up on them without eating too many calories, according to MayoClinic.com. Low energy-dense foods tend to be low in fat and high in dietary fiber, and mung bean sprouts have almost no fat and nearly 2 g dietary fiber per serving.

Each cup, or 104 g serving, of sprouted raw mung beans provides 155 mg potassium and only 6 mg sodium. Try to get at least 4,700 mg potassium and no more than 2,300 mg sodium per day to avoid high blood pressure and an increased risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  Each 1-cup serving of raw mung bean sprouts provides 14 mg vitamin C, or nearly one quarter of the daily value for vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin that is essential for proper immune function and wound healing. Another benefit of mung bean sprouts is their 60 mcg folic acid, or 15 percent of the daily value for this B vitamin, which is an especially important nutrient for women who may become pregnant, because it reduces the risk for neural tube birth defects.

A benefit of mung bean sprouts is that more than 90 percent of their weight is water, and you can use them, like other vegetables, to help you stay hydrated, according to the University of Michigan. Mung bean sprouts are a cholesterol-free food, and their dietary fiber can lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol in your blood.

Ready to get Sprouting?  Mary's Organic Sprouting Kit includes Organic Mung Beans

You’ll Need:
A sprout jar with a screen or a large bowl 
(a jar is MUCH easier)
Sprout seeds: Mung Bean, Alfalfa, Broccoli, etc.
Water

Mung Bean seeds have a shelf life of 3-5 years if kept in a cool, dark place such as a closet but not a hot garage.  Mung beans will usually produce three times the amount of sprouts as seeds.  Mung bean sprouts can last up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator if properly stored.  As with anything in the fridge, if it smells funky in a bad way, don't eat it!

Directions:  
Put 1/3 cup beans into your sprout jar. Add 2 cups of water.  Allow seeds to soak for 8-12 hours.  Empty the seeds into your Sprout Jar.  Drain off the soak water.  You may use it to water plants.  Rinse thoroughly with cool (60-70°) water.  Drain thoroughly. Rinse again and drain

Once I emptied out the water I set the jar upside down in a bowl to drain completely.  Sprouts need plenty of air flow as they "dry" for an additional 8 hours.

2 - 3 days: If you want to grow short, sweet Mung Beans - with 1/8 - 1/2 inch roots
4 - 6 days: If you want to grow big, thick Mung Bean - with 1 - 3 inch roots:

Just to be clear:
Soak for 8-10 hours. Rinse and drain.  Leave the jar in a cool place with no direct sunlight for the next 8-10 hours (dry).  Repeat.  It is VERY important that you rinse and drain thoroughly.

The great thing about my Sprout Jar is that it's self-contained.  I can soak, drain, rinse and let them sit all in one container.

Your sprouts are done 8-10 hours after the final rinse.   Be sure to drain your sprouts as thoroughly as possible after the final rinse.  Remove any left over hulls.  Transfer your sprouts to a plastic bag or sealed container and put them in the refrigerator.
These are the hulls.  Remove these and use in your compost or throw away.
We have a HUGE sale on Organic Mung Beans just listed 
at Mary's Heirloom Seeds. 
$4 off 1 pound and $12 off 2 pounds



Sprouting at Home saves money!  I used 1/3 cup of beans (seeds) and they produced about 3 cups of sprouts.  If I were to buy that much sprouts at the store I would probably spend about $8.  Worse, who knows what type of cancer-causing, nasty chemicals would be used to grow those $8 sprouts?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marys-Heirloom-Seeds/229833070442449

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