BENEFITS OF SPROUTING LENTILS:
- Lentils contain phytic acid, which can be difficult to digest. Sprouting neutralizes the phytic acid, which means more vitamins and minerals can be absorbed by your body as they’re digested.
- When you sprout lentils, you’re actually starting the germination process, which changes the composition of the lentils. Sprouting increases the amounts of vitamins and minerals in the lentils, especially B vitamins and carotene.
- Sprouting produces Vitamin C.
- Many legumes, lentils have sugars that create intestinal gas. Sprouting helps break down some of those sugars.
Are sprouted lentils better for you?
Yes! Legumes such as lentils (and all other seeds, including grains) contain phytic acid, an anti-nutrient which impedes mineral absorption.
Sprouting, as well as soaking beans, neutralizes phytic acid, making the nutrients in lentils more absorbable by our bodies. There are many other benefits of sprouting, too, such as…
- complex carbohydrates transform into simple carbohydrates
- complex proteins become simple amino acids
- fats become easily digestible fatty acids
- Vitamin C is produced in large amounts, along with other vitamins
- minerals and trace elements are made available to us, as they are absorbed by the sprout from the water used during the process
- minerals in sprouts are chelated and therefore more assimilable
- previously locked up enzymes are activated
Can I sprout all different lentils?
Yes! All varieties/colors of lentils can be sprouted, as long as the lentil is whole, not split.
The first time I tried sprouting lentils, I mistakenly bought split lentils, and hard as I tried to sprout them, they barely developed any sprout. So, make sure the label says “whole”.
Also, be sure the lentils are fresh, ideally less than four months old,
What else can I sprout?
Whether you enjoy grains or are gluten-free, your options for sprouting in the kitchen are endless.
In general, any seed can be sprouted. This means beans and legumes, which are commonly referred to as seeds, and grains.
Some examples include chickpeas and mung beans, alfalfa, clover, and grains such as wheat and spelt buckwheat