Bean Sprouts

You are at: Home

Vegetables

Sprout Varieties

Bean Sprouts

Selection Information

Usage: Asian dishes, salads.

Selection: Good-quality bean sprouts will be crisp-looking, almost dry and bright-white.

Avoid: Avoid product that is brown, overly wet, or that has wilted roots. Milky-white or yellow water in the bottom of the container is a sign of old product or poor refrigeration.

Seasonal Information

Bean sprouts are available year-round and usually grown locally.

Bean Sprouts Nutritional Information

Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 10
Protein: 1.3g
Fiber: 3%
Vitamin C: 5%
Iron: 2%
Folate: 3%

Bean Sprout Tips & Trivia

Medicinally and nutritionally, sprouts have a long history. It has been written that the Ancient Chinese physicians recognized and prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders over 5,000 years ago. Sprouts have continued to be a main staple in the diets of Americans of Oriental descent. Although accounts of sprouting appear in the Bible in the Book of Daniel, it took centuries for the West to fully realize its nutrition merits.
In the 1700's, sailors were riddled by scurvy (lack of Vitamin C) and suffered heavy casualties during their two to three year voyages. From 1772-1775, Captain James Cook had his sailors eat limes, lemons and varieties of sprouts; all abundant holders of Vitamin C. These plus other fresh fruits and vegetables and a continuous program of growing and eating sprouts were credited with the breakthrough, thus solving the mariners' greatest casualty problem.