Lovingly Plantbased
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  • Sprouts and microgreens
    • How to grow sprouts
    • Easy mung bean sprouts
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    • Tips for successful sprouting
    • How to grow microgreens
    • How to grow Wheatgrass >
      • Juicing wheatgrass
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    • Dairy-free cheese >
      • Basic Cashew Cream Cheese
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    • Dairy-free Cultured Cheese >
      • Basic Cultured Cashew Cheese
      • Basic Macadamia Nut Cheese
      • Basic Almond Cheese
      • Cashew Chèvre with Lemon Zest
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      • Almond Chèvre
      • Lemon Zest Almond Cheese
      • Macadamia and Pear Cheese
    • Raw Vegan Crackers >
      • Sprouted Lentil Crackers
      • Sprouted Black Sesame Crackers
      • Almond and Coconut Crackers
      • Sesame Crackers
      • Coconut & Apple Crackers
      • Spicy Flaxseed Crackers
    • Dips >
      • Zucchini & Hemp Hummus
      • Sweet Potato & Garlic Dip
      • Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa
      • Spinach & Leek Cashew Dip
      • ​Beetroot, Ginger & Garlic Cashew Dip
      • Chickpea Hummus
      • Raw Parsnip Dip
      • Ginger and Sprouted Sunflower Seed Pâté
    • Dressings
    • Breakfast Ideas >
      • Sorghum, hemp and banana pancakes
      • Carob Amaranth Porridge
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      • Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Farinata Pancakes
    • Lunch & dinner ideas >
      • Dhal
      • Chickpea Farinata
      • Potato, onion, zucchini & tomato egg-free frittata
    • Veggie burgers >
      • Sprouted lentil, walnut and brown rice burgers
    • Salads & Raw Food >
      • Cheezy Zucchini Noodles
      • Veggie Rolls
      • Mimi's Street Tacos
      • Crunchy Kale Chips
      • Veggie Nori Rolls
    • Soups >
      • Cauliflower, Red Lentil and Potato Soup
      • Black Bean and Corn Soup
    • Desserts >
      • Chocolate Chickpea Truffles
      • Chocolate Mousse
      • Dark Chocolate, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Brownies
    • Smoothies >
      • Blueberry and Hemp Smoothie
      • Purple Passion
      • Orange Joy Smoothie
      • Sweet and Green Smoothie
      • Pretty & Pink
      • Banana Cacao Surprise
  • How to
    • How to juice
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Growing sprouts & microgreens!

​Sprouts and microgreens are SO nutritious because they have, pound for pound, the largest amount of nutrients of any food. They are a virtual explosion of life!! :) 
As Dr. Michael Greger puts it, “It’s like gardening on steroids!” ​It really is too. No need to wait for weeks or even months to pick your produce. Within a few days it's ready. Now THAT'S my kind of gardening! :)
There really is no excuse for not growing your own. No garden is needed. Only a clean jar, a sprouting tray or sprouting bag. Actually, you can even grow sprouts in a clean almond milk carton, as you can see here :) 
​Sprouts and microgreens are a tremendous source of antioxidants, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, selenium, and zinc & some sprouts are also good sources of protein. They are delicious cooked and raw and can turn a salad into a nutritious meal. 
Picture
An abundance of clover
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Flax microgreens

Sprouts.....microgreens....What's the difference?

Put very simply:
  • ​You eat the whole sprout, but if the microgreens are grown on soil, then you cut them at soil level. 
  • Sprouts grow a little shoot and microgreens grow roots and proper leaves. 
  • Sprouts don't need light to grow, if fact they do better if kept in the dark.
  • Microgreens do need light after a few days, in order to produce chlorophyll.
  • Sprouts grow quickly; anything from 2 days to 5.
  • Microgreens (depending on which ones you're growing) take longer, anything from 6 to 14 days.
​
Some seeds, such as lentils, mung beans, peas and chickpeas can be grown and eaten both as sprouts and microgreens. If you let a soaked lentil sprout, it will grow a little shoot. It will be a 'sprout' and you can then eat the whole thing, lentil and shoot.

If however, you place this soaked and sprouted lentil on some soil, it will grow roots and after a few days produce proper leaves (lovely wispy ones!) It will then be a 'microgreen'. You harvest these little greens by cutting them close to the soil, therefore not eating the legume, seed or root.
Picture
Green lentil sprouts
Picture
Green lentil microgreens
You can grow sprouts and microgreens in and on more or less anything:
Soil-less trays, such as hydroponic trays, stainless steel mesh sprouters, terracotta trays, fabric bags, recycled cartons and more! 


If the seeds are grown in a jar and grow leaves, then technically they're still sprouts and you eat the whole thing. I consider them as 'microgreen-sprouts' though, since they have produced true leaves. That's not a proper term, it's just my take on these magical little nutrition bombs.

​Click below for more info on how to grow sprouts and microgreens.

Microgreens
Sprouts

How to grow sprouts

Easy mung bean sprouts

Easy lentil sprouts

Tips for successful sprouting

How to grow microgreens

How to grow wheatgrass

Have fun, experiment and let me know how it goes!
Or join me and other likeminded ladies in my Facebook group, The Plant-based Way to share successes and questions!

Picture
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Copyright 2021 Nicki Perkins | www.lovinglyplantbased.com All rights reserved. 
All content, videos and images found on lovinglyplantbased.com may not be reproduced or distributed, unless permitted in writing by Nicki Perkins, lovinglyplantbased.com

​

  • Home
    • Who I am and what I do
    • About me
  • Why Plant-based?
    • Vegan v. Plant-based
    • Protein >
      • What is protein? >
        • Amino acids
      • How much protein do we need?
      • Examples of plant-based protein meals
      • Plant-based protein and athletes
      • Protein FAQs
    • Health >
      • Sugar: The legal drug
      • Vitamin B12
      • Vitamin D
      • Iron
      • Calcium
      • The benefits of eating raw
    • Phytonutrients >
      • What colour is your food?
      • Isothiocyanates and cruciferous vegetables
    • Dr. T. Colin Campbell
    • No dairy?
  • Mind, body and soul coaching programs
  • EFT
    • Rosacea Relief
    • What can EFT be used for? >
      • Motivation
    • EFT resources
    • EFT prices
  • SKINCARE
    • Skincare Shop
  • Sprouts and microgreens
    • How to grow sprouts
    • Easy mung bean sprouts
    • Easy lentil sprouts
    • Tips for successful sprouting
    • How to grow microgreens
    • How to grow Wheatgrass >
      • Juicing wheatgrass
  • Recipes
    • Plant milks >
      • Almond milk
      • Amaranth milk
      • Brazil nut milk
      • Buckwheat milk
      • Hazelnut milk
      • Hemp milk
      • Macadamia Nut Milk
      • Quinoa milk
      • Toasted Hazelnut milk
      • Toasted Sesame seed milk
      • Sesame seed milk
    • Dairy-free cheese >
      • Basic Cashew Cream Cheese
      • Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Cream Cheese
      • Cashew and Spring Onion Cream Cheese
      • Roasted Garlic and Chives Cream Cheese
    • Dairy-free Cultured Cheese >
      • Basic Cultured Cashew Cheese
      • Basic Macadamia Nut Cheese
      • Basic Almond Cheese
      • Cashew Chèvre with Lemon Zest
      • Cashew Boursin
      • Almond Chèvre
      • Lemon Zest Almond Cheese
      • Macadamia and Pear Cheese
    • Raw Vegan Crackers >
      • Sprouted Lentil Crackers
      • Sprouted Black Sesame Crackers
      • Almond and Coconut Crackers
      • Sesame Crackers
      • Coconut & Apple Crackers
      • Spicy Flaxseed Crackers
    • Dips >
      • Zucchini & Hemp Hummus
      • Sweet Potato & Garlic Dip
      • Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa
      • Spinach & Leek Cashew Dip
      • ​Beetroot, Ginger & Garlic Cashew Dip
      • Chickpea Hummus
      • Raw Parsnip Dip
      • Ginger and Sprouted Sunflower Seed Pâté
    • Dressings
    • Breakfast Ideas >
      • Sorghum, hemp and banana pancakes
      • Carob Amaranth Porridge
      • Apple, Oats, Almond Butter
      • Brown Rice and Apple with Hemp and Brazil nut milk
      • Millet and Buckwheat Blueberry Bread Muffins
      • Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Farinata Pancakes
    • Lunch & dinner ideas >
      • Dhal
      • Chickpea Farinata
      • Potato, onion, zucchini & tomato egg-free frittata
    • Veggie burgers >
      • Sprouted lentil, walnut and brown rice burgers
    • Salads & Raw Food >
      • Cheezy Zucchini Noodles
      • Veggie Rolls
      • Mimi's Street Tacos
      • Crunchy Kale Chips
      • Veggie Nori Rolls
    • Soups >
      • Cauliflower, Red Lentil and Potato Soup
      • Black Bean and Corn Soup
    • Desserts >
      • Chocolate Chickpea Truffles
      • Chocolate Mousse
      • Dark Chocolate, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Brownies
    • Smoothies >
      • Blueberry and Hemp Smoothie
      • Purple Passion
      • Orange Joy Smoothie
      • Sweet and Green Smoothie
      • Pretty & Pink
      • Banana Cacao Surprise
  • How to
    • How to juice
    • How to make Rejuvelac
    • How to make Kombucha
    • How to make Kefir
    • How to make Sauerkraut
    • How to make Kimchi
  • Resources
    • Kitchen makeover
    • Books
    • Videos & Documentaries
  • Blog
  • Contact