Sprouts Make Great Survival Food!

Sprouts are a very healthy, fast growing snack that can supplement any diet. If you have ever tried sprouts on a sandwich, in a salad, or on anything else, then you know how good they can be! Sprouts are very versatile. Alfalfa or broccoli sprouts can easily be used as a lettuce replacement, and bean sprouts can be used in stir fry and other Asian-style cooking. They will add nutrients to your food, as well as a nice crunch and good flavor. Mung bean sprouts can even be used as a noodle substitute to make for a low carb, low cal, yet nutrient rich meal.

Sprouts can be grown very quickly, making them a prime candidate for survival food. In a matter of a few days, with the seeds, water, and a little sun, you can have your own fresh sprouts. Not to mention that they are the perfect candidate for indoor gardening. You can purchase mung beans, lentils, alfalfa, sunflower, or any other type of sprouting seeds at your local health food store. Most of these seeds can last for 2-4 years on the shelf. When you are ready to sprout, research your specific type of sprout to find the directions for that seed. Make sure that the seeds that you buy are for “eating” and not for planting, because if they are for planting, it’s possible that they have been sprayed with chemicals.

All sprouts will require a container that can easily drain out the water each time you rinse them. This can be anything from a product made specifically for sprouting, to a jar with cheesecloth stretched over the top and secured with a rubber band, or even a plastic container with little holes poked in the lid. After soaking your seeds in water (amount of time varies depending on the type of seed, but usually it will be between 20 minutes to 12 hours), let them sit in the container with the holes facing down so that it can drain easily. If they are kept sitting in water because of improper draining, they will quickly go moldy.

Rinse the sprouts about 3 times per day for several days. It is important to keep them in a dark location at first because seeds naturally sprout under ground. After the first couple of days, you can introduce them to sunlight, and within 24 hours, you should have healthy sprouts to eat!

Sprouts may be the closest thing that you can get to freshly grown food during a crisis. But just because they are quick to grow and easy to prepare doesn’t mean that they are lacking in the nutrition department. They have so many vitamins and minerals that your body will thank you for eating them! According to this blog, some of the nutrients found in most sprouts are: Vitamins A, C, B1, B6,and K, plus Iron, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, Fiber, Folate, and Omega-3 fatty acids. There aren’t many foods out there that can boast of all of those different types of nutrients!

Don’t let your sprouts sit in the refrigerator for too long after they are ready to eat, and always keep them well ventilated. The moisture found in them can cause bacteria to quickly grow if they are not well ventilated. For this reason, caution should be taken when allowing those with weakened immune systems (including pregnant women, young children, and the elderly) to eat sprouts. To learn more about the risks associated with eating sprouts, see what foodsafety.gov has to say about them.

So even if you have a fully prepared, freeze dried food storage like that of Food Insurance,  considering keeping some seeds and beans for sprouting to supplement the canned items that you have. Your family can always benefit from adding a little bit of fresh food to their diets, and you can’t beat the fast growing-time of sprouts. In only three days you can add an extremely nutrient rich supplement to your diet, and you won’t even feel like you are living off of your survival food. If you are looking for the perfect emergency preparedness food, sprouts are the way to go!

Emma Green resides in Southern Utah. She is passionate about dogs, health, and emergency preparedness. You can visit Emma on her blog at emergencyfoodstorage101.com, or feel free to contact her by email at [email protected]

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