Also Known as
Alfa Alfa, alfa-alfa sprout
What is alfalfa sprouts, alfa alfa sprouts, sprouted alfa alfa?
Alfalfa lives from three to twelve years, depending on variety and climate. It is a cool season perennial legume, sometimes growing to a height of 1 meter. It resembles clover with clusters of small purple flowers. It also has a deep root system sometimes stretching to 4.5 metres. Alfalfa is nutritionally one of the most versatile herbs yet discovered. The seeds of alfalfa, known as "Kings of Sprouts" are of immense value. It builds up for a healthy and vigorous old age and resistance to infection. Alfalfa contains chlorophyll, protein, minerals, and beta-carotene, B vitamins, and vitamins C, E, and K.It is also available in capsule, powder, tablet, and liquid extract forms. Many of these supplements are made from dried alfalfa leaves or seeds.
How to select alfalfa sprouts, alfa alfa sprouts, sprouted alfa alfa
Always select a crisp green sprout from the alfalfa seed. The sprouts should be of uniform size. Check if any rotten.
Culinary Uses of alfalfa sprouts, alfa alfa sprouts, sprouted alfa alfa
Just a bit of alfalfa sprouts does wonders to your salad.
1. Beet and sprouts salad is a true Indian style simple salad for everyday cooking. Healthy sprouted beetroot salad needs a little planning to buy alfa-alfa sprouts, but it’s worth the effort. Learn how to make beetroot and alfa-alfa sprouts salad.
2. Jowar Kale Palak Veg Antioxidant salad : This super-duper lunch salad, loaded with the goodness of millets, veggies and alfalfa sprouts, is bound to gain you lots of compliments and enthuse your colleagues also to make a healthy shift towards salad lunches !
Indian toasts and sandwiches using alfalfa sprouts
1. Alfalfa Sprouts and Apple On Toast : whole wheat bread slices are topped with a healthy topping of low-fat curds, alfalfa sprouts, apples, and other ingredients perked up with mustard powder and black pepper powder.
· The seeds are used in the form of sprouts. They are delicious and nourishing in salads and soups. They are excellent to add texture and crunch to coleslaw. Sprouts are a nice garnish for cream soups.
· The juice extracted of the alfalfa leaves or seeds can be used in the form of tea. The tea can be made by boiling alfalfa seeds in an enamel pan with the lid on, for half an hour. It is strained and squeezed. Allow it to cool. Further add cool or hot water and sip it with a teaspoon of honey.
· Alfalfa powder can be taken blended into vegetable juices or in vegetarian dishes. Add 1 tablespoon of alfalfa powder to the choice of your juice and stir vigorously or use blender. Tomato or carrot juice and Lettuce is suggested. You may also add this to fruit smoothie blender drinks to increase the nutritional content.
· You can add sprouted Alfalfa seeds to tacos, use them on top of spaghetti, munch them alongside pizza--they work with almost any meal.
How to store alfalfa sprouts, alfa alfa sprouts, sprouted alfa alfa
Before you use any sprouts, be sure to rinse the batch each time. Sprouts will keep in the refrigerator, but it is better to have small batches going constantly to ensure a fresh, sweet supply.
8 Health benefits of alfalfa sprouts, alfa alfa sprouts, sprouted alfa alfa
1. Alfalfa for weight watchers : These sprouts are quiet low in calories and high in protein, thus making an ideal choice for weight watchers and those on low-carb diet.
2. Alfalfa sprouts – a boon for heart patients : With a decent amount of fiber and very low fat count, these sprouts are a healthy addition to maintain heart health. They help get your body rid of excess bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease and strokes.
3. Alfalfa Sprouts are Easy to Digest : Sprouting converts the complex nutrients stored in the seeds into a form that can be easily digested. In other words, the starch gets converted into simple sugars like glucose and fructose, proteins are broken down into amino acids and saturated fat gets converted into simple fatty acids. Sprouts also contain enzymes that aid digestion. In addition, sprouting destroys the seeds’ natural preservative enzymes that inhibit digestion.
4. Alfalfa sprouts – a good source of antioxidants : They have chockful of antioxidants which has many roles to play in our body. They help eradicate the harmful free radicals and protect us from cancer and heart disease as well as contribute to a healthy wrinkle-free skin.
5. Alfalfa sprouts for pregnant women : They are a good source of folate which has been known to have a key role on [preventing neural birth defects in new born babies. Pregnant women must benefits from its key nutrients from through all the 3 trimesters. It is best to make sprouts at home using fresh clean water, as sprouts sometimes are a carrier of bacteria through use of unclean water.
6. Alfalfa sprouts can help build immunity : Vitamin C is a key nutrient to build immunity. Alfalfa sprouts abound in this nutrient which can help us keep infections at bay.
7. Alfalfa sprouts for shiny hair : Shiny bouncy hair needs protein, vitamin C, antioxidants and zinc. Alfalfa sprouts has all of these. Do not miss out on adding them to your diet to have shiny hair free of dandruff.
8. Alfalfa sprouts – a healthy food choice for diabetes : Diabetics need to be utmost careful of what they pick to add to their diet, as food has a great impact of blood sugar levels. Alfalfa sprouts can be undoubtedly be added by them to their daily meals as they have a low glycemic index and so causes slow release of sugar.