Veggie Love: Mung Bean Sprouts

Very recently I posted on the benefits of sprouting. I’ve been big on it every since I had a lovely conversation which you will hear soon with Annette Larkins, who is deemed “The Ageless Woman” about the benefits of sprouts. Some of you shouted out mung bean sprouts as your all time favorite, and I was particularly intrigued by these (not to playa hate on any of the other wonderful sprouts), because of their high vitamin C content that was used in ancient times to ward off disease.

The Chinese have been hip to harnessing the benefits of mung bean sprouts for over 3,000 years. So the rest of us are a little late to starting preaching the goodness of mung. This low calorie food is high in protein and fiber, and has very little to no fat. This makes them a great addition to soups, salads, and stir fries, that adds some more bulk to the meal without adding in excess fat or calories. Mung bean sprouts have pure forms of vitamin A, B, C, and E, along with K, calcium, iron, magnesium, pottassium, phosphorous, and zinc. One cup contains 1/4 the daily recommended value for vitamin C and 15% the recommended value of folic acid which is great for pregnant women because it prevents birth defects in children.

Ninety percent of what mung bean sprouts consists of is water, so eating them will boost your hydration a bit, and the fiber in them can help lower your bad cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for heart disease. Not bad for a little Chinese bean named Mung! If you decide to give these wonderful sprouts a try you can sprout them yourself or make sure you purchase sprouts that are not stringy or discolored. As fresh as you can find is always the best. If you missed the last post on The Benefits of Sprouting check it out here: http://wp.me/pHXQG-1bZ. -XoXo Raw Girl