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Three years ago during a visit to Ithaca, New York, I bought a sprout sandwich that was possibly the best I’ve ever tasted. It had warm multigrain toast, homemade hummus, roasted red peppers, juicy tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and a thick bed of fresh sprouts. Ever since then, I’ve worked sprouts into my meals whenever possible. I recently started wondering about the benefits of each sprout variety, which led me to investigate one kind in particular: broccoli sprouts.

Surprisingly, broccoli sprouts don’t taste like broccoli. They have a slightly spicy and peppery flavor, and the soft crunch of the white stems make them perfect for salads, sandwiches, and garnishes. But do these tiny vegetables have as many health benefits as their full-grown counterparts? And can you grow them at home? Find the answers to all your sprouting questions below.

Broccoli sprouts are baby broccoli plants. They have brown seedlings at the bottom, white stems, and tiny clover-like leaves at the top. They are typically eaten at just three to five days old.

The International Sprout Growers Association (ISGA) states that 3 ounces of broccoli sprouts (a little over ⅓ of a cup) contain:

In addition, 3 ounces have about 10 percent of your daily value (DV) of vitamin A, 60 percent DV of vitamin C, 6 percent calcium, and 4 percent iron.

Compared to the sprouts, broccoli offers a similar nutritional content. In other words, equal amounts of broccoli and broccoli sprouts have similar nutritional profiles. There is one key difference, though: the sprouts contain 10 to 100 times more glucoraphanin.

Glucoraphanin is a powerful plant compound found in cruciferous vegetables. It’s a sulfur-containing compound (which explains why broccoli sprouts have a stronger flavor than broccoli), and a type of phytochemical. Phytochemicals are bioactive nutrients in plants with antioxidant properties — they protect plants from various diseases and infections.

The benefits of glucoraphanin for plants can benefit us as well. A 2021 scientific review from Nutraceuticals in Brain Health and Beyond states that glucoraphanin may protect against:

In addition, a 2018 study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition found that eating broccoli sprouts daily improved the bowel habits of human participants, while alfalfa sprouts did not. And it wasn’t because of the fiber content in broccoli sprouts — though that is helpful, too.

The real reason: Glucoraphanin turns into a compound called sulforaphane in the body, and sulforaphane relieves chronic oxidative stress, which can cause constipation. (Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Too many free radicals can cause excess cell damage.)

Broccoli sprouts can grow year round, as they are best grown indoors. Sprouts grown outdoors do well in temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (but it’s much trickier to grow them outdoors, and most people start the seedlings indoors anyway). If you want to grow your sprouts inside, keep in mind that they need a cool, dark place that’s about 68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Growing broccoli sprouts doesn’t take long, but it does require a watchful eye. To do it, follow these steps from the FoundMyFitness YouTube channel.

For a visual demonstration, watch the full video below.

Looking for some delicious ways to add broccoli sprouts to your diet? These are my favorite recipes:

How will you enjoy your sprouts this season?

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