Let's Sprout Up!

Sprouts of all kinds are delicious additions to salads or smoothies and provide a bunch of nutrients to our bodies. Easy to assimilate and packed with vitamins, it is no wonder that sprouts have become a real phenomenon lately. At 2€/package, I thought I might try to find a healthier and cheaper solution a.k.a. fresh sprout grown at home & no plastic container! I found the perfect device while visiting Decosy, one of my favorite lifestyle & decoration shops in Brussels.

You are probably familiar with the good old terra cotta sprouters but these days you can find a lot of different designs. Last Saturday I found one in glass that is really practical: easy to use, easy to clean and it has a good ventilation. It is produced by a brand called GEFU and came with a pack of grains that should last for quite some time.

Sprouted grains are great for your diet and overall health. Sprouts are little wonder bombs that contain:

• Proteins,

• Vitamins,

• Minerals,

• Amino acids,

• Essential fatty acids,

• Oligo-elements,

• Active biological substances,

• Fibers,

• Enzymes that we need to digest,

In short, they will help you stay healthy, digest properly, boost your immune system and fight deficiencies you may have (vitamins for example). The difference between grains and sprouted grains is substantial: sprouted grains provide up to 10 ~ 600 times more nutrients & vitamins.

Cheap and delicious you can cultivate grains no matter the season and basically whenever you feel like eating them! Choose your flavor and start growing your own food easily: soak your grains for several hours, rinse them a few times and leave them be in the sprouter, repeat step 2 & 3 during 4 to 7 days and...It is that easy! Growing your sprouts is effortless and will cost you much less than buying them at your grocery store. Should I also mention you will lower your plastic use?!

I started to use my GEFU sprouter and I can already see the results! after soaking my germs of 6 hours I already saw a change. After a night in the sprouter, the process was definitely happening...After 24 hours there was life! A lot of it. I can't wait to add a some to my salad today!

Glass Sprouter - Ordinary Brussels - Lifestyle & Food in Brussels

Sprouts after 48 hours - Ordinary Brussels - Lifestyle & Food in Brussels

4 days sprouting - Ordinary Brussels - Lifestyle & Food in Brussels

Looking for grains to sprout?

Any bio shops will sell grains, just like you might find some at a local supermarket. The beauty about grains is that as long as you keep them in a sealed container, in dry place away from the sunny, you will be able to reuse them...Even after years.

Be careful though

Eating fresh food grown at home is great but hygiene is super important, especially with sprouts. The fact that you need humid and warm "climate" to sprout grains should ring your inner alarm: it is the perfect environment for bacteria to develop! So make sure that you use well cleaned material, clean water and that you wash your hands before and after every manipulation of the sprout and their container.

Knowing all this...Enjoy!