Sprouting Seeds
Seeds That Work Best for Sprouting

Sprouting seeds are inexpensive, and there is a nice variety of seeds and beans to choose from. Alfalfa seeds and wheat berries are the most popular, but you will love many others once you get started...

If you are trying to be frugal, you have little space for long term food storage or you just don't have the time to put together a emergency food storage plan , you still have one great option left—sprouts! If you could have only one food, and nothing else, your very best choice would be sprouts.

Photo courtesy of David Swart

Plan to include some live seeds in your pandemic flu preparedness plan . When you buy seeds for sprouting , make sure that you buy seeds or beans intended for human consumption. Seeds that are intended for farming or gardening often have been treated with chemicals that are not safe to eat.

Buying organic sprouting seeds will guarantee that the seeds have not been treated. But you will also find that seeds or beans in the grocery store or health food store will usually sprout just fine. Organic sprout seeds will just give you that extra safety factor, and they cost just a little bit more.

Most Common Sprouting Seeds

Alfalfa

- Known as the “King of Sprouts”, alfalfa was first used by the ancient Arabs. They fed alfalfa to their horses, and, after observing what it did for their horses, they ate it themselves. After eating alfalfa, the Arabs found that they could run long distances and broad-jump for well over 25 feet. They gave alfalfa its name, which means, “father of all foods”.

Alfalfa contains a huge amount of chlorophyll, every known vitamin, and is very rich in minerals. What's more, like all seeds, when you sprout alfalfa seeds, the nutrients increase! If you could have only one food, your very best choice would be alfalfa sprouts!

Beans

- Kidney, garbanzo, pinto and others. Sprouting beans is a great way to get rid of beans' gases. The beans become healthier, more delicious, cook more quickly and they lose their gaseous qualities. You can use sprouted beans in cooked dishes like chili or bean and rice—just as you would the cooked beans.

Broccoli

- As nutritious and delicious as broccoli is—you must try broccoli sprouts. Sprouted broccoli is even better than broccoli! Make sure you buy sprouting seeds from a source that does not coat the seeds for planting.

Garlic

- Along with onions and parsley, garlic is often grown just a little bit longer in order to get some greens. These seeds produce pungent greens that can be used to flavor salads, sandwiches and other dishes.

Mung beans

- Mung bean sprouts have been eaten by the Chinese for thousands of years, reportedly for 3000 years before the birth of Christ. Mung beans are used in more ways than any other sprouts. They can be a little tricky to sprout, but you can use them in so many ways, it is definitely worth having some mung beans on hand.

Radish

- Radish is a legume, and its sprouts impart a very tangy flavor. If you add just a few to a salad or a sandwich, you will get a nice peppery zip.

Soybeans

- Soybeans are used in similar ways to mung beans. Unfortunately they are harder to sprout than some seeds. However, it's definitely worth the effort. The sprouts are rich in vitamin C. In fact, ½ cup of soybean sprouts has the same amount of vitamin C as 6 glasses of orange juice! Soybeans have been used to replace meat, butter, cheese and milk.

Wheat

- Wheat, the “staff of life”, has been the mainstay of the human race for centuries. Dr. C. W. Bailey, leading expert on wheat from the University of Minnesota, has noted increases of 600% in vitamin C and higher mineral and enzyme levels in sprouted wheat.

As you can see, there are many different choices for sprouting seeds, and each has its own characteristics. You can get started without a lot of preparation and you can store a year's supply of food in a small area—assuming that you ate only sprouts (which I do know is unlikely).

Still, including some seeds for sprouting in your emergency food supply is a good idea. Learning how to grow sprouts is easy. It's cheap, the sprouted seeds are super healthy, and, if things get really tough, you know that your family will be able to eat.

We all hope that we never see a situation so desperate, but, doesn't it make sense to be prepared for it—just in case?

More on Food and Water
Pandemic Preparedness

Sprouting Supplies

Return to Survival Skills - from Sprouting Seeds That Work Best

Flu Pandemic Preparedness

Food Storage Containers

Survival Cooking

Simple Cooking

Pandemic Flu Guide HOME