• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Sprouting - Get your vegetables in concentrated form

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
One of the dual edged swords of having Crohn's Disease is so many of you aren't able to tolerate vegetables due to high fiber content. This is a dual edged sword since we all know that veggies are wicked important to have in your diet.

How many of you have tried sprouting? Sprouting is where you take vegetable seeds and allow them to sprout and then eat the sprouts. The fiber content is reduced yet you still get tons of vitamins and minerals and other beneficial goodies in highly concentrated form.

I use this gizmo for sprouting and find it to be highly efficient, easy to use, and fun. My fiance and I eat tons of spouts on salads, sandwiches, and other fun and delicious ways. Our primary seeds we sprout are broccoli, alfalfa, and mung but I want to start sprouting lots of other kinds as I learn the various nutritional benefits of each.

Any sprouters out there? If so, what's your experience? Do sprouts upset your digestive track? If any of you take up sprouting, please share your experiences here whether positive or negative. It's so so so important to get all the benefits of vegetables, hopefully this could be a means for many of you to do exactly that.
 
Interesting, I'll have to give sprouting a look. I'm in the camp of loving my vegetables, but all to often they do not love me back.
 
Yea, I've tried but I never stuck to it. Rinsing seeds 3 times a day was kind of a drag, but I was using a large mason jar with a strainer type lid (cheapest way to go). I don't mind the taste of broccoli/alfalfa sprouts but the others can taste bitter.

Apparently, growing pea shoots is a tastier greens/sprout alternative. I haven't tried these yet. I have a sandwich mix of sprouts I should probably bust out before they go bad.

I also have juiced wheat grass from time to time which is tasty with pine/apple juice. Kind of annoying to grow, also; however, your posted contraption seems pretty handy and cost efficient. Is it easy enough/convenient to rinse the seeds?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
When you say rinsing seeds, are you saying wash them off or simply keeping them watered so they sprout? If the latter, the contraption is SUPER EASY. You want twice a day by pouring two cups into the lid, and it does the rest for you.
 
Wow, this sounds pretty handy. I also love my vegetables, but they hate me. Escpecially string beans! Just want to hope I can eat stir frys at some point in the near future. Mung sprouts sure are a good addition to them. And I'm not sure about where you guys live, but mung sprouts in Australia are pretty cheap from the local supermarket/ grocer.
 
I've ordered my sprout sprouter on Amazon! Hope to have it soon. Never thought I would be excited about eating vegetable sprouts, but looking forward to trying something new.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Great! If you're willing to keep track and post your progress and experiences with it here (good or bad) that would be amazing. No pressure though :)
 
I started out sprouting back in the 1970's (yes I'm that old) using a mason jar and a piece of screen. Unfortunately, now I have to cook them to eat them.
 
I sprouted for a while, but was not very good about keeping up with the rinsing and turning and spoiled quite a few batches! LOL!! That contraption looks like it might be pretty good. I may have to try again.

I have a friend that knows a lady that makes bread out of sprouted wheat. That is supposed to be super nutritious. But, that would be such a pain to sprout enough wheat to make bread!!
 
I noticed I feel way better eating sprouted bread....and the BEST is the garden of life enrgery bars which has almost all of its "organic" ingredents sprouted!
 
Location
Ontario
I would highly advise against eating commercially produced sprouts. Growing them yourself, probably safe, but commercially available sprouts have been known to contain harmful bacteria.
 
Location
Canada
I would highly advise against eating commercially produced sprouts. Growing them yourself, probably safe, but commercially available sprouts have been known to contain harmful bacteria.
I would agree with this. Commercially grown sprouts are probably one of the riskiest things to eat (uncooked that is). I'd say the only riskier thing would be raw oysters. Growing your own should be ok though.
 

Lady Organic

Moderator
Staff member
Ive been sprouting everyday since 3 weeks, wanted to do this for a long time, thought it was complicated.....ABSOLUTELY NOT !!! I attended a class in a community center. Sprouting in glass jar and on soil too. Ive have better sucess with the jar. The soil sprouting is more difficult but still interesting. Im going to continue the soil plantation for watercress only, since watercress cant be sprouted in a jar. I really want to eat watercress for its super anti-oxydant capacities.
For sprouting in the glass jar, I bought a big 2L sprouting jar (12$) at the health food store and make a huge quantity that gives me 3 big salads. I eat one big salad a day. I may change my operations and go back with smaller jars so I eat my sprouts without having to put them in the fridge, so super fresh everyday. SoI'd have to have 3 or 4 jars rolling on my counter at all time.

IT IS SUPER EASY TO MAKE!!! So far, I eat a mix of kale, radish, fenugrec and mustard which I mix together in the big jar. To complete my big sprout salad, I put in sliced onions, olive oil, sea salt and saukrate juice.

I found a nice trick if we want to remove the empty shells left from the sprouting. I remove them because this is extra fibers which I dont need right now. At the end of the sprouting, I put all my harvest in a big bowl and mix it with water. All of the shells come to the surface and then its easy to remove them with a big spoon. I love growing my garden at home!!! to know how healthy this is, its incredible how life can be so surprising and simple!!! I love culinary ancient traditions!!!

sprouting: https://www.quickcrop.co.uk/blog/29/
 
I don't do any sprouting now, but am expanding my raised bed gardening and sprouting will be the next phase.

I rely don't care for gardening of any kind but I like to know what I am eating so that means do it yourself.

Broccoli sprouts in particular are supposed to be a fairly powerful preventative against cancer, osteoarthritis and diabetes. I have decided that broccoli will be one of the first things I grow as sprouts for those reasons.

I may ask you for tips on this when I get going. Pretty sure it will be next winters project.

Happy sprouting.

Dan
 
I sprout mung beans in a jar. I'm addicted to homemade spring rolls. Where do you get the other kinds of seeds from?
 

Lady Organic

Moderator
Staff member
I get them in a Organic food store, they have regular groceries and a section with all seeds! Ive seen them too in other organic groceries, but not complete selection yet. Online shopping must be available I guess. some seeds are ridicoulously unexpensive, but others like Kale or Brocoli are expensive. still a little bag is good for many harvests!
what is ideal is to have a mix of different seeds so that we can get all the different benefits from each different vegetables. Ill try the brocoli soon. I put kale in everytime and will prolly do so with brocoli as well.
 
Last edited:

Lady Organic

Moderator
Staff member
interesting that the most bitter would be the healthiest or nutricious. the taste of my sprouts is indeed pretty bitter and not to my liking. thats why i camouflage it with onions which I like, that way I barely taste the sprouts and it taste just like lettuce. i wouldnt have thought arugula would have been so healthy, i'll explore all of these that are available at my store.
 
Top