Raw Sprouts Vs Boiled Sprouts - What's the Difference?

Sprouts are becoming more and more popular as people begin to understand and recognize their nutritional value. Sprouts are formed when small seeds germinate and grow into very young plants, which are then harvested.

The most popular types of sprouts are alfalfa, mung bean, and broccoli.

These sprouts can be enjoyed raw or boiled, but which is better?

There is a little debate about it. One party holds that eating sprouts raw is the best way to preserve and enjoy their full nutritional value, while the other believes that boiling sprouts helps kill off harmful bacteria that could lead to food poisoning.

The benefits of sprouts

Sprouts are incredibly nutritious foods, considering how small they are. The nutritional value of sprouts differs among the different types, but sprouts are more nutritious than fully grown, non-sprouted versions of the plants.

In fact, many people grow sprouts at home on their kitchen counters. I found this amazing seed sprouter that you can buy on Amazon, and it makes the process so easy.

Sprouts have a high protein content, as well as antioxidants and fatty acids. In addition, sprouts are high in fiber, and many are rich in vitamins, such as vitamin B-1, folate, and vitamin C. Sprouts are not only high in vitamins, but also contain different minerals, such as copper, manganese , iron and phosphorus.

Due to its high nutritional value, bean sprouts have many health benefits, which have been recognized for decades. These benefits include

• Disease risk reduction
• Improvement of digestive problems
• Reduction of heat stroke
• Anti-inflammatory properties reduce swelling
• They prevent heart problems
• Reduce the risk of diabetes

Sprouts also contain anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

With all of its benefits, many people believe that cooking or boiling bean sprouts can destroy some of their nutrients and benefits, but are they really safe to eat raw?

Some bean sprouts cannot be cooked , such as alfalfa sprouts, because they are so delicate. Some choose to continue eating them raw, and others decide to stay away from them altogether.

raw sprouts

The sprouts are grown in water or in humid environments. Although it is safe to eat sprouts raw, the humid and hot conditions in which they are grown increase bacterial growth.

For this reason, raw sprouts are not recommended for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

There are many different ways to eat sprouts raw, whether it’s sprinkled on a salad or added to sandwiches and wraps for extra crunch. Many people enjoy eating just a handful of sprouts as is.

However, before eating raw bean sprouts, they should be washed well. You can place them in a colander and run them under the tap and rinse them well. Although as much as the sprouts are washed, this does not completely eliminate all the bacteria they contain.

There have been numerous cases where raw sprouts have been linked to food poisoning, which has been caused by bacteria present in raw sprouts, such as E. coli, salmonella, staph, and listeria. These are found more often in sprouts than in other plants, due to their damp, wet growing conditions.

For this reason, the consumption of sprouts is inappropriate for many people, especially those at risk. The FDA recommends that sprouts be thoroughly cooked to help reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

There are many ways to include cooked sprouts in your daily meals, using them in stir-fries, soups and stews, so that you can avoid eating only raw sprouts to avoid any disease.

Saying this, raw bean sprouts contain more nutrients and vitamins, so it’s up to you whether the risk is worth it or not.

To show the nutritional value of raw sprouts, here is the nutritional content of 100 grams of raw mung bean sprouts in relation to the recommended daily allowance of nutrients and vitamins:

• 6% of the CDR of proteins
• 7% CDR of fiber
• 22% of the RDA of vitamin C
• 41% of the RDA for vitamin K
• 6% of the RDA for vitamin B1
• 7% of the RDA for vitamin B2
• 15% of the RDA for vitamin B12
• 5% of the RDA of iron
• 5% of the RDA for magnesium
• 5% of the RDA of phosphorus
• 8% of the RDA of copper
• 9% of the RDA for manganese

This goes to show the incredibly high nutritional content of such a small amount of raw sprouts, and why so many people choose to eat them raw on a daily basis.

boiled sprouts

Due to the increased risk of food poisoning from raw sprouts, many people choose to boil sprouts before eating or adding them to salads, wraps, and sandwiches.

Sprouts, like other foods, need to be heated or cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill most bacteria. This makes them much safer to eat, and greatly reduces the risk of foodborne illness.

To avoid having to boil the sprouts before consuming them, many people choose to include them in their meals while they are cooking. This can take the form of adding the sprouts to stir-fries, stews, and soups and allowing them to cook for a short time with the rest of the meal.

Unfortunately, boiling or cooking the sprouts kills some of the nutrients and vitamins they contain, but not so much that they don’t still have great health benefits.

In addition to boiling the sprouts, you can also sauté, steam, or blanch them; all of these can raise the temperature of the sprouts enough to kill off harmful bacteria without completely destroying the sprouts’ nutritional content, or ruining their texture or flavor.

Boiling sprouts at a high temperature is the best way to prevent the proliferation of bacteria and any disease that may be associated with eating raw or undercooked sprouts.

5 things to know about sprouts

1. Growing and harvesting your own sprouts at home is really easy. It doesn’t take as much time as many people think, and it’s a great DIY project to do at home. All you need are sprouting seeds (like these on Amazon) and a sprouting container (I have this one and really like it!).
2. Sprouts contain more available nutrients, as the sprouting process turns legumes and beans into small, live plants that contain more vitamins C, B, and carotene. This also helps in the easy absorption of minerals.
3. During the sprouting process, antinutrients such as phytates, which cause digestion problems, are reduced. This is how complex starches are broken down, which are usually associated with the gases that beans and legumes cause. The sprouting process also produces a certain enzyme, which is a good aid to digestion.
4. Sprouts cook more quickly than legumes and whole vegetables, as the soaking and sprouting process softens them.
5. Sprouts are best when cooked, as they contain harmful bacteria that can cause illness, and raw sprouts contain irritants, which are destroyed by cooking.

Related questions

How long do you have to boil the sprouts?

Sprouts should be boiled based on their size, but as a general rule of thumb, boil for 3-5 minutes to ensure enough harmful bacteria are killed and the sprouts are soft and tender.

Are sprouts good for losing weight?

Sprouts are great for losing weight. They are high in vitamins and nutrients, but have very few calories.

This means that you can have a good amount of your recommended daily intake without having to worry about extra calories. Sprouts also contain a large amount of fiber, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer.

Can sprouts be steamed?

Like other vegetables, you can steam sprouts.

To do this, you must boil about one centimeter of water in a pot, in which you will place the insert or steam cooking basket. Place the cleaned sprouts in the steamer basket and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender.

Steaming is another good way to ensure the removal of harmful bacteria from sprouts, making them much safer to eat.

What is the best?

Eating sprouts raw can promote health and be a great source of vitamins and minerals, but unfortunately they are at high risk of food poisoning or related illness due to harmful bacteria that can grow during the growing process. moist and wet germination.

The safest option would be to boil the sprouts before consuming , making sure they reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit before removing them from the heat. This level of heat should kill off most of the harmful bacteria and make the sprouts much safer to eat.

However, all is not lost, since boiled or cooked sprouts still provide a good amount of nutrients, much more than what you can find in many other fruits and vegetables.

It is always better to play it safe, especially for children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. Cooking the sprouts at high temperatures makes them safe enough to be eaten by almost everyone.

If you are determined to eat the sprouts raw, try to wash them as well as possible. This won’t kill all the harmful bacteria, but it’s better than nothing!