Why are sprouts are the number one best plant you can feed your dogs? They are the most nutritious land based food (vs the most nutritious ocean based food which is seaweed).
So what are sprouts?
Sprouts (or mircogreens) are young seedlings harvested less than 14 days after germination. They are usually about 1-3 inches long
Sprouts Pack A Nutritional Punch
They may be tiny, but sprouts punch well above their weight when it comes to nutrition.
Do you have a picky eater who picks out the greens in the food bowl?
Sprouts are far superior in nutritional value than their mature plants so nutritionally, a little goes a long way. Plus they are tiny and fine so they are easy to mix in with other foods.
For eg we know that broccoli is good as an anti-cancer, anti-cardiovascular disease, anti-diabetic - you get the idea, like many plants, it is anti lots of things! - and then we have the sprout of broccoli. The broccoli sprout has been found to be 50 x more anti cancer than the mature broccoli itself.
Researchers also found sprouts like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts. They discovered that red cabbage sprouts had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage; whilst cilantro sprouts had three times more beta-carotene than mature cilantro. These results are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
“The microgreens were four- to 40-fold more concentrated with nutrients than their mature counterparts,” says researcher Qin Wang, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland in College Park.
So how do you grow your own sprouts
Many of the vegetables we buy from stores have been there for weeks and have little to no nutrients.
For a truly organic, fresh and nutritious food, nothing beats growing your own sprouts. And if I can do it anyone can! It is super easy and can be grown indoors. You don’t even need soil! In a few short days, you will have your own ready to eat garden.
I am a lazy gardener with a black thumb. For me the easiest method I found was using Mr Fothergill’s Microgreen trays. They are available from Bunnings for around $10 each or from the Mr Fothergill’s website https://www.mrfothergills.com.au/microgreens-growing-tray.html You just need to buy the seeds.
Mr Fothergill’s Microgreen Trays
How to Grow Mr Fothergill's Sprouts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On1js9EsJWA
What can be grown into a sprout?
Every seed, nut and bean in its raw state can be grown into a sprout
Where do I buy seeds for sprouting?
I buy my seeds from Perth Hills Veggie Co
https://perthhillsveggieco.com.au/collections/microgreen-sprouting-seeds/microgreens
Where can I buy sprouts if I don’t want to grow them myself?
Sprouts are readily available at most farmers markets and grocery stores like Coles and Woolworths.
Note : When feeding any plants to your dog: To help your dog absorb these healthy nutrients, plant matter needs to be processed in some way (cooked/steamed/blended/grated) so the cell wall is broken down.