A jar full of soaked but unsprouted French lentils.

Lentils are a very good plant-protein source. Cooked lentils contain all the essential amino acids, but are deficient in Methionine+Cystine. 31% of their total calories are from protein [1].  Raw sprouted Lentils, on the other hand, contain sufficient levels of all the amino acids, and 34% of their calories are made up of protein [2].

Aside from protein, when dormant seeds are sprouted all the carbs that were waiting around inside begin to turn to living compounds.  Many new vitamins and nutrients are created, and the seeds suddenly become like little high-protein vegetables.  They are high in vitamins C, A, B, and have many minerals. Also, raw sprouts contain a very high number of enzymes, between 10 and 100 times more than regular vegetables.

I have experimented with sprouting many types of seeds: mung beans, lentils, rice, wheat, kamut, spelt, and chick-peas, and my favorite by far has been the sprouted French lentil.  If I eat these little sprouts it gives me some high quality plant protein as well as giving me many of the nutrients I would get by eating fruits and vegetables.  The best “Elite-Fitness” workout I have ever done (compared to the other people in my gym) was a 2:38 Grace, which I did in the late morning after I had eaten almost nothing but lentil sprouts for breakfast (I was out of other food at the time).  I recommend all my readers to try them out at least, and comment below if you notice any better results.  At the least they should make you feel more lively because their high nutritional content.

How to Sprout Lentils

1. Buy some French lentils, which are the smaller dark green ones with occasional speckles.  I buy them organic in bulk from the health food store for about $2 per pound.  You can do it with regular pale lentils, but in my experience they give you gas and are difficult to digest, whereas the French lentils don’t give me any problems.
2. Get a glass jar.
   

   A perforated jar lid used as a strainer.

3. If the jar has a metal lid, then use a hammer and nail to punch a bunch of holes into it to let the water drain out.  If you don’t have a lid, then you can just use your hand for now.
4. Fill the jar about 20% full of lentils or less.
5. Fill rest of jar with water.
6. Let soak 8 hours, then drain out water.
7. Two times a day, fill back up with water, then immediately drain, using your perforated lid or your fingers.  Keep the jar in a warm place, but not in direct sunlight.

They're alive, and full of nutrients!

By the second day you should begin to see little white tails growing out of the sprouts.  The sprouts are tastiest when the tails are about a centimeter long, but of course you can experiment.  If you want to delay their growth, then put them in the fridge, making sure to rinse them at least once every two days to keep them fresh.

I usually just eat them directly with a spoon, but if you don’t like that, I would suggest mixing them with olive oil and Braggs amino acids or with some sort of balsamic vineger.  They are also good with raw onions, if you like that sort of breath.