Sunflower Shoots are seedlings of sunflower plants that are grown from 10-14 days. The crunchy greens tastes like slightly sweet raw sunflower seeds, making them a popular crop. Everyone loves sunflower seeds, and not surprisingly, they also love these sunflower shoots.
Similar to sunflower seeds, their shoots are also a great source of good, unsaturated fat. As you would expect, they are also the most calorie dense micro-green that we grow. Just 1/4 cup of Sunny Shoots contains 190 calories and 16 grams of fat. As comparison, 1/4 cup of dry roasted sunflower seeds contains 207 calories and 19 grams of fat.
In addition to fat, they are also a great source of plant based protein. The shoots contain nearly 40% protein and 8 amino acids! Beyond that, sprouting naturally releases some enzymes that make the greens much more digestible than in seed form. When grown in soil, they also take up the minerals from the soil which boosts the vitamin and mineral content in the shoot form.
Pregnant or Breast Feeding Women should also know that sunny shoots are a great source of folate. Men should know too, that they are a great source of zinc, which will help your sperm counts. Nothing better than fresh vitamins and minerals from your food!
Not only are they amazing for you, they also taste great! Other than pea shoots, these are the most durable micro-greens that we grow, making them surprisingly versatile. They are great mixed into any salad mix to provide a sweet nutty crunch or even used as the main ingredient in sunflower shoot pesto! We really enjoy the taste and texture they provide to a fruit smoothie. Sometimes though, the simpler the better. When we have sunflower shoots left over at the end of the week (which rarely happens), our go to is sunflower shoot and nut butter sandwich. Toast, Nut Butter of Choice, Sunflower Shoots and Honey. Thats all. It rivals the standard PB&J. Its a common snack for us on the ski lift between run, or packed into a cold pack for a snack along the trail. This sandwich will give you all the energy you need to fully enjoy your next adventure!
Even that simple sandwich is too many steps for many people! Snacking like they are popcorn works too! Kids love these tiny greens too. They are fun, and crunchy, and sweet. Its hard to find a kid that turns them down, so if you’re looking for a healthy snack that your kid will actually eat….try this sandwich and leave the rest of the box out for your kid to snack on too. They will be eating greens and not even care, or they may even like it and try others!
Poncha Creek Gardens 