why sprouted

Sprouting breathes life into a dormant seed, enhancing it’s flavour, texture,
nutrition and digestibility.

Tradition

Sprouting is an ancient tradition that endured in cultures all over the world. Some of the earliest forms of bread were made with sprouted wheat. Egyptians made sprouted bread as early as 1350 BC. In neolithic China, sprouted millet, rice, wheat and barley were used to make alcohol.

Evidence of soaking and sprouting has also been found from ancient Africa, Australia, Europe, India, South America and the Middle East. This collective wisdom was passed down for centuries but is much less common today.

Before modern agriculture, crops often sprouted accidentally from being exposed to the elements after harvest. Agricultural advances meant sprouted grains essentially disappeared from our diets.

Sprouting brings ancient cultural practices alive and bridges modern food choices and traditional preparation. Sprouting is resurging as food prepared in slow, thoughtful and traditional ways grow in popularity.

digestion

For many people, unsprouted grains and beans cause digestive discomfort. It is widely recognized that pre-soaking beans can help ease discomfort, but soaking and sprouting grains has the same effect.

The sprouting process naturally activates starch, protein and lipid degrading enzymes that “pre-digest” a grain, seed or pulse. The seed uses dense protein and complex carbs to grow, converting them to simpler amino acids and glucose. This means that some enzymes our bodies use to break down the seed have already been applied.

Sprouting does not remove gluten but for some people who have discomfort digesting wheat, sprouting may help to digest and enjoy.

nutrition

Whole grains have a bran, germ and endosperm, which contain the seed’s essential vitamins and minerals like protein, fibre, iron, magnesium, B vitamins and antioxidants. There are no shortcuts when sprouting. A seed must be whole for it to sprout, so sprouted grains are inherently whole grain.

While whole grains and beans are a good source of nutrition, they also contain phytic acid, an enzyme that inhibits our digestive systems from fully absorbing the seed’s nutrients. The sprouting process reduces phytic acid, and how much depends on the seed and sprouting time. For example, chickpeas sprouted for 48 hours showed a 67% decrease. Sprouting converts the nutrients that are already in the seed into a more bioavailable form for our bodies.

We are proudly certified organic for every product, so each seed is grown and sprouted naturally and sustainably. Sprouting is a form of positive processing where nothing is removed and only water is added. This transforms it’s nutrient profile and allows your body to get the most from whole, natural foods.

convenience

Cooking whole grains and beans is often inconvenient and time consuming. Sprouting reduces cook time, in most cases by half, making preparation much quicker and easier. No pre-soaking is needed for sprouted beans and lentils because soaking is already part of the sprouting process.

Sprouting also stabilizes the natural oils in wheat and flax, extending their shelf life (and slowing staling of sprouted wheat bread). This makes sprouted flour a practical, user-friendly choice for bakers.

You can easily incorporate sprouted whole grains, beans and flour into your diet in all the same ways you would use their non-sprouted counterparts.

Choosing sprouted products means you get all the benefits of sprouted grains, without the extra time and effort of sprouting at home.

taste & Texture

Sprouting enhances natural flavours and textures of grains, seeds and pulses. Sprouted foods have richer, more complex tastes and delightful textures.

The sprouting process reduces naturally occurring bitterness (saponin), particularly in wheat and quinoa. It also converts complex starch into simple sugars, making sprouted grains taste sweeter (though their glycemic index is low). Grains develop lighter, nuttier and more earthy flavours.

Grains like sprouted buckwheat and millet are light, crunchy, and perfect for granolas. Sprouted brown rice develops a delicate texture and sprouted farro, wheat berries and hulless oats are chewy and hearty. Beans become tender and buttery after sprouting, and are wonderful whole or for dips.

When people think of whole grains in baked goods, they tend to think of a dense texture. We sprout and finely mill our sprouted whole grain flour to produce light, soft, fluffy, moist baked goods.

Although it’s been around for thousands of years, the benefits of sprouting as it relates to our digestion and health is so complex that we don’t yet understand it fully. New research is constantly emerging and more is needed, which is why we are in partnership with universities to further our understanding of all the benefits that sprouting can offer.

why sprouted

Tradition

digestion

nutrition

convenience

taste & Texture

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