Many of us aim to lose weight, and hitting the gym for hours may not be enough if your diet isn’t right. What you eat is as crucial as your workout routine. Amid the ‘low fat’ trend, we often overlook the significant benefits of natural foods.
It’s time you got introduced to this low-calorie, high-fiber natural food, which will make your weight loss journey easy and help you in many other ways. Today, we bring you the numerous benefits of sprouts and why you must make this your best friend when you want to shed a few kilos. Read on and reap the benefits!
What are sprouts?
Sprouts are germinated seeds from legumes or grains, offering low calories but high proteins, vitamins, and minerals, making them a superfood for weight loss. Wondering how they aid in losing weight? Discover more below: (1) (2)
1. Low in calories
First things first, sprouts have a meager calories. So you can indulge in them guilt-free. A bowl of sprouts would roughly sum up to 100 calories. Now you know why you must replace a bowl of sprouts with that chocolate bar or a pack of chips. Sprouts give you all the essential nutrients without loading up on the calories. A sure-shot sign to lose weight!
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2. Packs in proteins
Ask any dietitian, and they will tell you the importance of protein during weight loss. Packing in those proteins will result in faster fat loss, repair of tissues, and help in hair growth. A bowl of sprouts contains about 14 grams of protein.
3. Lowers cholesterol
Sprouts help to keep cholesterol at bay. This, in turn, keeps you away from heart issues and unhealthy weight gain.
4. Helps in digestion
Sprouts contain a good amount of living enzymes. These enzymes help boost the metabolic process and improve the body’s chemical reactions, aiding digestion. Enzymes help break down food and absorb nutrients, while enzymes contain dietary fiber, which regulates digestion.
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5. Reduces acidity
Acidity is the root cause of most of the deadly diseases, including cancer. Sprouts help regulate and maintain average PH levels in the body, reducing the acids. All of these, in turn, help to curb hunger pangs.
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6. Controls hunger pangs
Sprouts are high in dietary fiber and keep you full for longer. So, eating a bowl of sprouts will stop you from binging on junk and other unhealthy and processed foods. The equation is pretty simple—less binge eating equals less weight gain!
7. Low in fat
Dishes made out of sprouts typically contain significantly less or zero fats other than the oil used in making the dish, which might come up to about four grams. But if eaten raw, they contain significantly less fat. A 100-gram portion of sprouts contains only about 0.38 grams of fat.
8. Detoxifies your body
The enzymes in sprouts aid in digestion, making it faster so that our body can get rid of waste materials effectively. Also, the chlorophyll content helps in cleansing our system. So, faster digestion and cleansing eventually lead to body detoxification and weight loss.
Types of sprouts you can include in your diet
Just like pulses, sprouts come in different varieties as well. So here are some you can grow in your home and add to your daily diet.
1. Alfalfa sprouts
This one surely tops the list when it comes to weight loss. Their nutty flavor and tender texture make them ideal for sandwich stuffings or topping off salads. Alfalfa sprouts are also considered to be the best for weight watchers.
2. Sunflower sprouts
Very close to alfalfa in properties, sunflower sprouts are sweet and work well in sandwiches and salads.
3. Radish sprouts
Unlike alfalfa and sunflower sprouts, radish sprouts give a spicy kick to your dish. So, if you are the kind who likes some spice in your salad or sandwich, this is just what you must use as a topping. Plus, it helps you lose weight too!
4. Mung bean sprouts
Every Indian might have eaten this at some point in their lives. Grown at home or bought from the store, mung bean sprouts can be included in your daily diet in ways more than just one. Toss it in with other vegetables, add a dash of lemon,n and eat it raw as a salad,d or throw in some tomatoes, onions, chilies, ginger, and garlic and make a lip-smacking side dish for your roti. It works well either way!
5. Green-leaf sprouts
Green leaf sprouts are more common among Americans. Their crunchy texture and subtle flavor make them ideal for sandwiches, salad topping, or vegetable saute.
How to make sprouts at home
Although sprouts are readily available at stores, nothing is better and healthier than making them yourself in your home. And the procedure is straightforward.
- Wash the legume or grain you want to germinate and place it in a bowl covered with cold water. Leave this overnight.
- The following day, drain the water, cover the bowl with a cloth, and secure it with a rubber band. In the evening, rinse and drain your legumes again.
- Repeat the process for one more day, and your sprouts will be ready to munch. A simple way to identify if they are ready is to watch out for a small whitetail. This means they are prepared to be eaten.
If you are dying to get that celebrity-like figure, hair, and skin, then this is just what you must include in your diet. So, go on and grab a bowl of sprouts instead of those processed foods and reap the benefits!
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Summary
Sprouts are a superfood for weight loss due to their low-calorie, high-protein, and nutrient-rich nature. With around 100 calories per bowl, sprouts facilitate weight loss, provide essential proteins (14 grams per bowl), lower cholesterol, aid digestion, reduce acidity, control hunger pangs with fiber, and detoxify the body. Sprouts are low in fat, making them ideal for a healthy diet. Various types like alfalfa, sunflower, radish, mung bean, and green-leaf sprouts offer diverse flavors and health benefits. Making sprouts at home is simple and ensures a healthier alternative to processed foods.
