Alfalfa Sprouts

Alfalfa sprouts are usually the first image to pop into someone's head when they think "sprouts".  These wispy white shoots with tiny green leaves on the ends are too fragile to cook, and are most commonly eaten raw on salads or sandwiches.

Their flavor is neutral to sweet when compared to other varieties such as Mung bean sprouts.

Alfalfa sprouts are packed with nutritional value as alfalfa is one of few, if not the only food crop that supplies the full range of vitamins - A, B complex (including B12), C, E, and K.  They also contain numerous minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, and zinc.

Sprouts in general are widely considered to be one of the healthiest foods available, because in addition to vitamins and minerals, they contain a higher concentration of phytonutrients (or phytochemicals) than most mature plants.  Phytonutrients are compounds that in many cases provide the same protective and useful function to humans, as they do for the plants.  There are literally thousands of phytonutrients in nature that have yet to be isolated and researched, but commonly known examples would be lutein, or lycopene.  Researchers know that vitamins and minerals alone don't account for the full nutritional effects of healthy food, and phytonutrients are the "X factor" that makes good food, well... good.  This is also why you should make sure any nutritional supplements you take are natural and have a high phytonutrient content.  Because sprouts are harvested at such an early stage, they contain a greater concentration of phytonutrients for their small volume.

 

Image credit - http://cookeatshare.com/ingredients/alfalfa-sprouts

Storage tips:

Alfalfa sprouts should be used as soon as possible, but they can be stored for several days if refrigerated.

Discard any sprouts showing signs of yellowing, wilting, or rotting.