Raw or Cooked – What’s the Best Way To Eat Sprouts?

In an earlier post, we had talked about the multiple benefits associated with consuming sprouts. They are a fantastic choice for those seeking to lose weight due to their low-calorie, high-protein, and fiber-rich content, which can help you feel satiated for longer periods, reducing the temptation for frequent snacking. Packed with essential minerals, they are good for a healthy metabolism too. Moreover, it has been found that the germination process amplifies the nutritional value of legumes, beans, and nuts, making them even more nutrient dense. Incorporating sprouts into your diet is a wise decision for promoting weight loss and overall health; however, there is a big confusion regarding whether sprouts should be eaten raw or cooked to get the most out of. People feel that cooking would destroy the nutrients while others feel having sprouts raw may cause food poisoning. So, let’s find out the best way to have sprouts to boost weight loss, read on:

What’s So Good About Sprouts?

1. Sprouts have a higher protein content than their raw for, helping to amp up the protein intake, they are a good source of protein, especially for vegetarians. There are several studies that suggest that sprouting increases the protein content of legumes and seeds.
2. Abundant nutrient profile that boost metabolism. Research shows that allowing germination to happen at  25°C for 24 hours greatly increases the nutritional quality of beans; the protein level increases by 9-12%, vitamin C increases by 4-38 times, and the phytic acid (anti-nutrient) decreases by 4-16 times. Several minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, chromium, etc., are known to play a role in metabolism, which is the process by which your body converts food into energy. These minerals can help support a healthy metabolism and optimize your body’s energy production. Sprouts are a good source to get these essential minerals.
3. Reduces anti-nutrient properties of phytic acid (a compound that interfere with the absorption of nutrients). Reduction in phytic acid would mean better chance of the body to absorb the nutrients. Studies show that as phytate decreases, bioavailability of phosphorus
and other minerals increase.
4. You get a good concentration of weight-loss friendly nutrients like protein and fiber, without increasing overall calorie intake.
5. Powerhouse of weight-loss friendly nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, biotin, enzymes, calcium, copper, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, silica, bioflavonoids, etc.
6. Sprouts can be consumed either raw or lightly cooked – in salads, snacks, sandwiches, soup, fried snacks, plain sabzi, made into chilla, added to chat, pulao, etc.
5. There are many legumes and seeds that can be sprouted easily – moong dal, chickpeas, kala chana or black chickpeas, green peas, black beans, etc. Do you know that even fenugreek seeds can be consumed as sprouts?

Should Sprouts Be Eaten Raw or Cooked Best Weight Loss?

1. Consuming raw sprouts can increase the risk of food poisoning as the ideal conditions for germination, including moisture and temperature, would also create a conducive environment for the growth of harmful bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella. It is crucial to exercise caution and ensure proper food safety measures, such as thorough washing and employing healthy cooking methods to minimize the potential hazards associated with raw sprout consumption.

2. Raw sprouts can cause bloating, cramps, and digestive issues in some people. Cooking them slightly will prevent such issues.

3. Bioavailability of nutrients enhances with cooking. When they are consumed raw, the body may not efficiently absorb the nutrients. Eating sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes raw is possible, but cooking them after sprouting could enhance nutrient absorption, particularly for grains.

Summing up, though raw sprouts are undoubtedly healthy, cooking them up slightly will preserve the nutrients and help with better absorption of nutrients, and drastically reduce the risk of digestive issue and food poisoning at the same time. Lightly sauteing or stir fry sprouts is recommended, even steaming and boiling are good, especially for store-bought sprouts. Alternatively, you can use sprouts in paratha filling, in salads, khichdi, in stir fry, to make sabzi, or make chillas out of them. Most importantly, do not rely on sprouts alone to accelerate your weight loss journey. As we have always maintained, it’s important to eat a balanced diet and maintain calorie deficit at the same time, and that’s why following the diet plans on the Rati Beauty app can help you lose weight fast and safe. Download the Rati Beauty app for more details.

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