Sprouting Wheat Berries and Oat Groats

High energy snacks that are healthy and cheap to make are great to have available for hungry kids and parents alike. Sprouted grains make quick, simple meals that are as nutritious as they are delicious.

One easy high energy breakfast is sprouted wheat cereal with sunflower seed “milk”:

• Soak a cup of whole wheat berries in plenty of water overnight
• In a second container, soak a cup of raw hulled sunflower seeds in two cups of water.
• In the morning, drain the wheat and blend in a food processor or blender until well chopped (you can eat them whole, but if your kids don’t chew thoroughly, they just come out the other end still whole).
• Drain the sunnies, add two cups of water and blend until smooth
• You can either strain the sunflower seed milk, or use it as is (I like it unstrained.)
• Add raisins, coconut, chopped apples, whatever you like, to the wheat, and cover with the sunflower milk
• You can add honey or maple syrup if you want it sweeter, but I find the sprouted wheat to be sweet enough as is
• Try adding the wheat berries to your regular cereal or granola, or put them in yogurt

Sprouted oatmeal is another super energy food. Be sure to buy whole oats (groats), not rolled oats (flakes) – your local co-op or natural foods store should have them.

• Soak 2 cups of oat groats overnight in plenty of water
• Soak 3/4 of a cup (a handful) of pitted dates in water overnight
• Blend oats, dates, and enough water to make it “oatmeal” consistency
• Add coconut flakes and hemp seeds to taste
• Sprinkle with cinnamon

Buy in bulk for the best prices and freshest grains. Most co-ops and natural foods stores will special order 25 or 50 pound bags for you, usually at a cheaper price than the shelf price. The grains will keep for a long time if they are kept cool and dark, and a 25 pound bag of wheat will fit nicely in a 5 gallon bucket. Most 5 gallon buckets will stack on top of each other neatly and only take up a small amount of room. Bulk purchasing is a cheaper way to provide your children with nutritious meals, and having lots of the staple foods around makes it easy to improvise at mealtime.

Learn more about sprouting: How to Grow Sprouts at Home for Low Cost Nutritious Meals

Image: mr.bologna at Flickr