As mentioned in my porridge post last week, I sometimes add chopped sprouts to the boy’s meals. Why? Because sprouted seeds, grains and legumes offer a nutritious supply of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, chlorophyll and protein. If the boys get a few servings of sprouts a week, I don’t have to worry when sometimes all they want are crackers.

There are many excellent sprouting resources on the web (SproutPeople, PrimalSeeds), but this is my quick and easy version for growing sunflower seed sprouts…..

Add enough shelled, raw sunflower seeds to cover the bottom of a clean, lidded, clear container (baby food jar, plastic container, etc.). Add enough water to completely cover the seeds and let them soak a couple of hours.

Drain the water, but retain the seeds (tip the container over the sink with the lid open a tiny bit). Place in a dark cabinet.

Two or three times a day add enough water to cover the seeds, then immediately drain the water. Replace into the dark cabinet.

Within a couple of days the seeds will begin to sprout. You can eat them immediately or transfer them to the fridge to extend their lives for several more days. If you want to encourage vitamin C production, place them on a windowsill for a day until the sprouts start producing chlorophyll and turning green like my mung bean sprouts below.

For toddlers, you can add chopped sprouts to sweet potatoes, porridge (easy recipe), spaghetti sauce, applesauce, yogurt (easy recipe), or add a few to the blender when you’re making smoothies. (Just remember to cook/heat the food first, then add the aprouts. Heating sprouts greatly reduces their nutritional value.)