Butter Beary likes sprouts...

...but the four-year old with the hair-trigger gag reflex doesn't. This is not OK because mom knows that freshly sprouted seeds (see my last post here) are really good for you. This Herbs are Special site is fantastic because it lists the numerous health benefits of sprouts in layman's terms. The simplest way I think about it - you take seeds, grains, nuts, legumes, and eat them raw while they're at their nutritive prime. It's good stuff. The only unclear aspect is how to get my kids to eat it. The biggest tip: serve in small doses. You know the photos you see sometimes of a deliciously fresh sandwich layered with avocado, turkey, and 3 inches of sprouts - the one that makes you feel like a Californian after a jog on the beach at 8am? The healthy person takes a slow-mo bite into that wholesome sandwich with abandon? That's a fantasy...at least in my house. I've found that for us, it's best to start with an extremely sparse layer of sprouts on that sandwich.

Other ideas I may try for adding fresh sprouts to my family's food:

• in the bottom of a bowl of soup.



• sprinkled on top of a salad (I might even call these "sprinkles" next time - think she'll buy that?).



• mixed into tuna, chicken, salmon etc. salad (out of sight, out of mind).



• blended into pesto (or other) sauce.



• added to salad (or other) dressings.



• as Stephanie suggested, in a stir-fry for dinner.



• sprouting different types of seeds. Larger legumes and nuts can be sprouted and snacked on alone. I might play up the "snack" (i.e. treat!) aspect of these sprouts.

• edited to add: Julie from The Little Things - my favorite mommy blog, suggests making a smiley face and adding sprouts as the hair. So clever!
  
  

With a gentle introduction to sprouts, perhaps we can all come to enjoy the health benefits and develop a taste for freshly sprouted seed. Tis a big bowl for Butter Beary to eat alone.