Adding protein with sprouts

Nancy Ramirez, sprouting queen!

    “But where do you get your protein from?”
    

    Oh, if I only had a nickel for every time someone asked me that.
    

    As I settled into my raw food life style I found that some days I felt great, bouncing from task to task throughout the day with oodles of energy.  Yet, on others I felt shaky and light-headed.  It led me to ask myself the very same question.  Where am I getting my protein?  
    

    After a little Internet digging I found that for many raw foodists, sprouting is an easy way to add protein to almost every meal.  Seeds, beans, and nuts have tons of protein already.  However, by just adding water and giving them time to sprout, they turn into little gems of energy.  Basically, sprouting releases their enzyme inhibitors, making them nature’s most nutrient-packed food.  
   

    Sprouting is easy and doesn’t require the purchase of fancy kitchen equipment.  Yet, I found myself sprouting the same thing again and again.  Lentils—mostly, because I already had a whole bag of dried lentils in my cupboard.  After two weeks of adding sprouted lentils to everything, I became unenthusiastic about mealtime.
   

    So, imagine my delight to find a vendor at my local Farmer’s Market who sells a wide array of fresh and organic sprouts.  Nancy’s colorful selection includes barley, spelt, wheat berries, and mung beans to name a few.  They are grown using hydroponics and contain no additives so you can be assured that you are getting the best of the best.  She will bag up any combination of sprouts you choose for about $2.  She is also very knowledgeable and helped me to create my own muesli mix.  

    You can find Nancy Ramirez’s sprout stand on:

Fridays 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
@ CityPlace Center—Promenade N. and E. 4th Street, Long Beach

Saturdays 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
@ Towne Center—Park Plaza Drive & Park Plaza West, Cerritos

Sundays 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
@ Alamitos Bay Marina—E. Marina Dr. south of E. 2nd St., Long Beach

While you’re there, throw down a fresh wheat grass shot for $1.00 and reap the benefits of raw energy all day.

My Muesli Mix:

Mix the following ingredients in equal parts and keep refrigerated:

~ Sprouted Barley
~ Sprouted Wheat Berries
~ Rolled Oats
~ Raw Almonds, sliced or chopped
~ Raw Walnuts, chopped
~ Raisins (or any other dried, unsweetened berry)

Easy, right?  I love this mix in the morning over fruit with almond milk.  It’s a great way to add protein to breakfast and start the day right.