From cereals, soft drinks, cakes, condiments, cookies, potatoes, candy, and almost everything we find in the supermarket has some artificial coloring.

How to Avoid Artificial and Harmful Food Coloring? Why are they bad?

Well for example many studies have shown that in some people they have serious health effects, such as triggering allergies and causing hyperactivity, and there has even been talking of cancer.

How to live a healthy Plant Based Lifestyle

How to Avoid Artificial and Harmful Food Coloring – Effects of food coloring on human health

Here are some reasons to avoid them:

•  They have no nutritional value, they only serve to give the product a better appearance, but no benefit.
• They are used in the industry because it is cheaper to color food with artificial colors than with natural colors.
• Some are made with chemicals derived from oil.
• Its consumption has been shown to have effects on children’s health and activity or care.
• They hide in a lot of foods, even in those that seem “healthy”, for example, balsamic vinegar, vanilla amaranth, strawberry yogurt, etc.
• Most products aimed at children contain artificial colors (even knowing the possible effects on their health) just to make them more attractive. This causes them to want to consume more processed products and natural options seem boring.

How to Avoid Artificial and Harmful Food Coloring

What to do to avoid them?

• Read the list of ingredients of the products, every time you see Red 40, Yellow 4, Yellow 5, or any other artificial coloring, look for another option.
• Use homemade natural dyes (paprika, blueberries, spinach). Do you want some pink pancakes? Color them with Beets or Turmeric.
• Limit the consumption of candy and soda as much as possible. Simply just drink water to avoid any issues

#4 Talk to your children about the possible effect of artificial colors on their health to start raising awareness about them. It is very important to include foods of many colors, but by their nature, they are like that, not that they have been created in a laboratory: grapes, pineapples, strawberries, beets, carrots, cucumbers… If you can! Your health will thank you.

We can all benefit from a healthy life and leading a plant based lifestyle is one big plus.

Read more: Living A Plant Based Lifestyle Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult

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How to Grow Pea Shoots With No Soil

The process of growing pea shoots only takes two to three weeks, and a single tray can be harvested at least twice when cut correctly. Besides tasting like fresh spring peas, the nutritional goodness of pea shoots is hard to beat. Pea shoots contain Vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. They also have 38 minerals, including amino acids, calcium, folic acid, iron, potassium, and a host of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. So follow these easy steps to grow your pea shoots at home all year long.

Step One: Gather Your Supplies

For an original investment of about ten dollars, I purchased a sprouting tray with a lid and a bag of yellow peas. A container to soak the peas in will also be needed but literally anything that will hold a cup of peas, and a few cups of water will work.

If you choose to sprout your peas in soil, you can save a little money by repurposing any container with at least two to three-inch sides and withstand daily watering. Many people reuse the fruit and vegetable containers used by grocery stores.

Step Two: Soak the Peas

The amount of peas you will want to use will depend on whether you are using soil or a sprouting tray with holes and the size of your growing tray. Keep in mind that your dry peas will almost double in size once soaked. If growing in soil, you will want to give your peas a little spice in between so they root correctly. It is best to cover the entire area for the soilless growing tray and be at least one to two peas deep.

To judge how many peas to soak:

1. Pour enough dry peas into your growing tray until the entire space is covered with a single layer.
2. Put half that amount for the soil method or that amount minus two teaspoons into a soaking vessel such as a bowl or jar for the soilless process.
3. Rinse the dry peas several times with tepid water to clean them.
4. Cover the peas with two to three times as much water as they will absorb a lot of the water as they rehydrate.
5. Leave the peas to soak in the water for at least ten to twelve hours.

Step Three: Drain and Transfer Rehydrated Peas

After the peas have soaked, drain the soaking water off and rinse the peas lightly a few times. At this point, transfer the peas to the growing tray. If you use soil, ensure the soil is thoroughly watered before placing the seeds in the tray. As you will be harvesting the plants in their early stage, the spacing can be very close, but you will want to give them a little room; about half a Pea-sized space in-between works nicely. Then cover the peas with enough well-fertilized soil to cover them about a quarter-inch deep. Water the topsoil until moist.

For the soilless method, place two paper towels on the bottom of the tray with holes and put the growing tray in the solid water tray. Place the wet peas on top of the towels, put the lid on and cover the tray. Peas in the growing tray will germinate and grow faster in a darkened tray that holds in moisture like a greenhouse.

Step Four: Wait, Watch, and Water

During the growing period, check the peas every day to make sure they are getting enough water. If growing in soil, you will want to keep the soil moist but not wet. Expect it to take anywhere from four to seven days before your sprouts will break through the soil. Once you see the tiny green sprouts, please place them in a spot that gets at least a few hours of sun a day. Be sure to rotate the tray by one-quarter each day to help your shoots grow straight and continue to monitor the soil moisture as they grow.

For the soilless method, uncover and either rinse or spray the peas with water twice a day. Keep the peas moist, the lid on, and out of the sun until they reach the height of the growing tray lid. When the shoots reach this height, take the cover off and place the tray in a sunny spot. The more sun your sprouts get, the quicker they will turn green and grow. As soon as you see the tendrils begin to form, it is time to start harvesting.

How to Grow Pea Shoots – Step Five: Harvest Wisely

Taking care to harvest the pea shoots properly will allow for a second crop from the same tray. If you do not wish to have a second harvest, cut the sprouts about an inch from the base and place the remains in your compost pile. If placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the pea shoots will stay fresh for about a week. They can be used in everything from soups and stews to salads and smoothies or in any dish you want to add a taste of freshness.

To harvest the same tray more than once, make sure to cut the pea shoots above the first set of tiny leaves. By cutting only as many shoots as you will use each day, you can ensure a daily supply of pea shoots for a more extended period. Also, when cut properly, the sprouts will grow back a second time. One tray, when harvested twice, will give a yield of almost four quarts of shoots over two weeks.

Read more –  How to Live Longer with Plant-Based Foods

These are little green pea shaped beans with lots of plant protein inside them. Here are a few pictures of how to sprout them and several ideas of what you can do with these powerful protein filled Legumes.

You can buy a sprouter from Amazon, or you can just use cheesecloth, either way, works fine. I just happen to like gadgets.

You start by giving them a good couple of rinses until the water you clean them with runs off clear. They are quite dirty when they come out of the plastic bag so be certain to keep rinsing them until you are certain they are clean. Also, as you are running your fingers through them, remove any small stones that may have slipped through the sorters. Once they are clean and ready to go place them in a singular layer, put some water in the bottom and place the sprouts in a cool place. Make sure to move them around and replace the water every day for best results. Then you can watch and be amazed at the difference a few days will make.

Once the Mung beans have sprouted there are multiple ways you can incorporate them into your diet. One of the easiest and most often used methods is to add them to stir-fries. They go well with celery, carrots onions and broccoli slaw with some nice middle eastern seasonings this will also make for excellent spring roll filings.

Sprucing up everyday ordinary salads is another good use for sprouted mung beans. Not only will they add a little different color and texture, but you significantly increase your protein intake. If you are a fan of healthy shakes, just a handful added to the normal fruits you use will hardly be noticeable by taste.

The bottom line is these are great sources of protein and the amount of ways to use them are endless. You can try them in almost anything including soups and sandwiches.