Losing weight is one of the greatest concerns today. Many of us believe that regular exercise is all that is needed to lose weight effectively. But exercise without a proper diet will not let you achieve your goal. To lose the extra pounds it is important that you have a proper diet. It should be balanced and nutritious.
Many people suggest sprouts when talking about healthy food. They are highly nutritious and very healthy for our body and mind. They are seeds of grains or legumes after they germinate. This makes them rich in vitamins, calcium, fibre, minerals and enzymes. Now let us see how sprouts are good for weight loss.
Benefits of Sprouts for Weight Loss:
Controls hunger pangs:
Foods rich in fiber are ideal for people who are trying to lose weight. Having fiber rich foods help in keeping their stomach full for a longer time. Sprouts are rich sources of fiber and are therefore filling. This way it reduces hunger pangs, so that you start eating less food. With a reduction in the consumption of food, you are more likely to lose weight.
Detoxifies your body:
Sprouts are rich in chlorophyll. This helps in cleansing and oxygenating your body. The enzymes present in sprouts are very effective for enabling the digestion of nutrients. Fibre in sprouts lowers the levels of blood cholesterol. Al these properties of sprouts help in flushing out the toxins and detoxifying your body. It also helps in weight loss to a great extent.
High fiber content:
It is important that obese and diabetic people should have a diet that is rich in fiber. Sprouts contain about 7.6 gm of fiber. Fibre in the food helps in maintaining the health of your digestive system, so that it functions properly. It is very beneficial for those who suffer from constipation.
High in protein:
According to research made, when the intake of protein is increased, you lose fat faster. Proteins have an important role in repairing tissues and stimulating hair growth. It also has lots of other benefits. Sprouts are storehouses of proteins. By consuming 1 cup of sprouts, you will get 14 gm of protein.
Low in calories:
Sprouts are very low in calories. By consuming one bowl of sprouts, you gain only 100 calories. So, having a bowl of sprouts provides you all the essential nutrients you need and at the same time does not increase your calorie intake. So, sprouts are best for losing weight.
Low in fat:
When you make dishes with sprouts, you consume about 4 gm of fat. This fat comes from the oil used for preparing the dish. When you eat sprouts raw, it contains very less fat. 100 gm of sprouts contain only about 0.38 gm of fat.
Lowers cholesterol:
Sprouts have the ability to reduce the cholesterol levels in the blood. By lowering cholesterol levels, it helps in protecting you from various problems of the heart. It also helps in controlling the body weight.
Rich in vitamins and minerals:
Sprouts, especially moong dal sprouts, are rich sources of vitamin and minerals needed for the body. By consuming 100 gm of sprouts you will get about 40% of Vitamin B9 that you need per day. It is also rich in Vitamin B5, Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B6.
How to Make Sprouts at Home:
You can make sprouts at home very easily. The procedure takes only about 1 to 2 minutes. Here is how you can do it.
- Take some grains or legumes and wash them well to remove dirt and any chemicals that may be present on them.
- Now place them in a bowl and cover them with cold water.
- Next morning you have to drain the water. Now cover the mouth of the bowl with a piece of cloth. Put on a rubber band to secure the cloth to the mouth of the bowl. In the evening, you will have to rinse and drain the legumes again.
- Continue the process for another day. Finally the sprouts are ready to consume. They will have white coloured tails at the end, which means that they have germinated.
If you want to lose weight effectively, include sprouts in your daily diet. You can have a bowl of sprouts as your evening snack or add it to other dishes and salads. This will soon give you positive results.
Healthy Sprout Recipe for Weight loss:
Moong sprouts salad:
Ingredients needed:
- 2 cups moong beans
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 chopped tomato
- 1 chopped green chilli
- 1 boiled potato cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder
- Rock salt for taste
- chaat masala
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Preparation Procedure:
Rinse the moong beans in water well and boil till they are tender. Remove the excess water and let the sprouts cool. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Add chat masala, lemon juice, salt and chilli powder and mix once again. Serve immediately.
Green gram sprouts soup:
Ingredients needed:
- ½ cup green gram sprouts
- 2 tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp ghee
Preparation Procedure:
Wash the gram sprouts well and keep aside. Chop the garlic and tomato finely. Heat some water in a pan and then add gram sprouts and the chopped onion and tomatoes. Also add some salt and then cook till the sprouts are tender. In a frying pan, melt the ghee and fry garlic till it is golden brown in color. Add the soup to it and then sprinkle the coriander leaves over it. Cover it with a lid and cook for about 45 minutes. Serve hot.
