Thank you for the info!

Not saying anything pro or con about sprouting, but simply on a personal note, I'd take any Ann Wigmore books with a lot of grains of salt. I've done a genealogical search on her background, and found she tells very Tall Bio Stories, particularly in her popular "Why Suffer?" book (often reprinted since the 1960ties). that have no relationship to facts. For instance she tells the sad story of both her parents leaving her behind as a sickly newborn (didn't know if she'd live or die) in the care of her grandmother & sailing off to America, whereas her father arrived on his own in Massachusetts in 1908 (I found a copy of a public drunken arrest story for him that year in the local newspaper), and her mother came through Ellis Island in 1913 with a bunch of relatives, so she would have been closer to age 5, not the wee baby she claimed. And her other well-known story about getting her legs crushed in a horse & wagon accident sometime after her arrival in the U.S. circa 1922, gangrene set in, her father & the doctors wanted to amputate both, she refused, went home, chewed on grass, & got all better. Oh sure. But probably sold a lot of wheatgrass juice & sprouts on that story alone.

Wigmore was very careful not to ever mention her true birth name, so it was challenging to find out who she really was. I've contributed most of her correct bio info to her Wikipedia page if anybody's interested. To paraphrase Art Linkletter somewhat, "Alternative Health Gurus say the strangest things."

Lucille, I grew some assorted sprouts a while back to add to salads but discovered that there were few that I liked. So that didn't last long with me.

Yes, I have a sprouting thing, plastic, 3-tiered. I haven't used it in a while though. I may have to dig it out.

Mine sounds like the one Kathsgrdn has. I used to sprout faithfully--always had something going in those tiers. As I recall I didn't have the best luck with mung beans (I'm not sure why), but I successfully sprouted adzuki beans, lentils, radish seeds, and wheat. Possibly broccoli and others--it's been so long I don't remember. Thanks for posting this, Lucille. I really should start sprouting again.

I'm not sure the info I'm getting is valid but it looks like from a search I did that there are significant differences in the carbohydrate content of different kinds of sprouts. I have not researched all of them, but so far mung bean sprouts seem pretty low in carbs; lentils which apparently are easy to sprout are higher in carbs, so high that I really can't use them.

"but discovered that there were few that I liked."

Definitely a concern. I am going to try some low carb sprouts but if I don't like them, then I'm not going to keep sprouting. I've recently made enormous and hopefully permanent changes to the way I eat, many fewer carbs, more veggies, and lower overall calories, and pairing that change with daily exercise. There's no room for 'meh' foods, those might tend to derail my dietary plan. Right now, I look forward to meals including the veggies, I want to keep it that way.

Kathy, your detective story was eye opening and entertaining, a reminder to us all that some of what we read should be taken with a grain of salt.

Although I've been steeped in low-carb thinking for a very long time (as I've mentioned here before, Dr. Atkins was my physician when we lived in NYC), I don't remember checking the carb content of spouts. This is probably because we never ate them in any quantity.

I suppose some people might sit down to a plate of sprouts, but I mostly sprinkled them on salads, or stuffed some (alfalfa comes to mind) into my kids' sandwiches. (I didn't eat bread.) So my suggestion is to consider quantity when looking up carb contents.

Because I'm going back so far, it's also possible I was sprouting during the period when I ignored carbs--and gained weight. But if so, I'm sure the weight gain was more the result of pasta and my whole-grain baking than a handful of sprouts.

I didn't get strict about carbs again until I was 52--a milestone in my life! :-)

-Sprouting automatically reduces the carbohydrates - how much depends on the grain/seed/bean/nut and how long you sprout it. Don't forget to off-set the carbs by the fiber amount (for the effective carb count), as well as the actual amount consumed. Sprouting also reduces the glycemic impact - I keep both of these things in mind since we have been eating a low-glycemic diet since the late 1990's (diabetes is rampant in hubby's family, so this is how we try to avoid it), along with low-carb. What are your carbohydrate diet goals? Less than 150 g.?

-Sprout pinto beans (or cannellini beans - which are white kidney beans) before using them, and 1 cup of raw pinto bean spouts has 10 g. effective net carbs, 1.5 g. fiber and 64 calories. I dehydrate sprouted pinto beans and use them for (nearly) "instant" refried beans, or adding to soup, casseroles, etc. Alfalfa sprouts are really low-carb - 1 c. = 1 g. effective net carb, but use them with caution because they can be an allergen to some people. Mung bean sprouts - 1-cup = 4 g. effective net carb.

-I make sprouted bean/seed mixtures and use them for making plant-based high-protein patties using adzuki beans, lentils, mung beans and radish seeds)

-Sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat is considered a high-protein food. We season them for snacking (make a spiced mixture of nuts, sprouted buckwheat, sprouted (and dehydrated) pumpkin seeds, etc.). Sprinkle some on yogurt (homemade kefir for us) for a little granola effect.

-Anytime you sprout or ferment food, it is then a pre-digested food, so it is easier to digest, which also positively effects the carb load.

-Acidic foods significantly lower the glycemic index of a food or a meal by 1/3 because of how your stomach and digestive system work. Acidic foods slow the emptying of your stomach, which slows down how quickly your blood sugar rises, which impacts those carbohydrates you consume. This is probably part of the secret for the old Grapefruit Diet (that and the additional fiber). My parents/grandparents always served pickled foods with a meal (pickles, olives, horseradish, marinated vegetables, pickled beets, sauerkraut, vinegar-based dressings), and that was a beneficial thing we probably should add back to our diets. Add vinegar to your salad along with a good quality oil. Add lemon and lime juice if you don't like pickled foods.

-Fats also lower the effective glycemic index, as does adding Ceylon cinnamon.

So it's not just about eating low-carb, but other factors can be considered as well.

Editing to add: When you drastically reduce carbohydrates from your diet, and then add them back, they have an even more drastic effect on your blood glucose levels, which can increase weight gain and/or cause pre-diabetes or other blood glucose issues, so do all things in moderation should also be considered. If you are making this change for your health, you may want to consider it a lifetime change, not just a quick fix for weight control.

-Grainlady

There is considerable controversy about whether the fiber should be offset, some people do not do that, I do not.

However, I am not going to get into dietary controversy as it is each person's prerogative to review the literature and choose for themselves. In addition, as I pointed out before, the entire adventure may be moot if the sprouts do not work out to be yummy enough.

Thanks all for the posts and ideas.

I do sprout and like them, some of them not straight on their own however. My fave lunch is a whole wheat wrap with hummus and sprouts (mixed alfalfa, clover, and radish or brassica). I also like sprouted lentils on sandwiches or added to things like salads or omelets. I have done mung beans, but you won't get the thick strong roots like you see in store sprouts. They are weighted and sprouted in the dark, I believe, to get that way and I haven't been able to duplicate that. Taste as you go. Some sprouts I like better short, others I prefer sprouted longer...and not always according to what most experts say either LOL. You can also sprout beans and lentils for a very short time then cook them as you would for dried beans. They won't soften as much and they cook faster but for the bigger beans and peas I prefer the seed area cooked to raw.

dances_in_garden

You are so right..... Ann Wigmore's book, "The Sprouting Book" explains how to grow mung (and adzuki beans) away from light and under pressure, and why. As it turns out, exposure to light - using a traditional method in a glass jar or opaque/clear sprouter, tends to make them tougher. The pressure to push against each other and against the weight as they grow makes them thicker and more juicy.

I use sprout in the 1970-80's when I was a vegetarian. I loved sprouts on sandwiches instead of lettuce. I should get back to that. Where do you buy the seeds? I use to get them at the health food store. I know you should not use packaged garden seeds because they are treated with chemicals.