Why Our New Seed and Nut Butters Are Sprouted

I have often commented that the trick with eating plant foods is to understand and work with the nature of the plant. Plants make seeds — grains, beans, seeds or nuts — to house and protect the essence of the next generation. The “intention” of the plant is to protect its seeds from being eaten, as, obviously, this would break the cycle of the continuation of the species. Plants also load seeds with valuable nutrients, fats, minerals and phytochemicals to give the tiny seedling food for its journey.

Animals would love to get their “hands” on these nutrients, but first they need to be unlocked from the protection of the seeds. This situation is the fundamental dilemma of the consumption of food from plant seeds. On the one hand, seeds are among nature’s most nutrient-dense foods. On the other hand, these same nutrients are encased in packages that makes them inedible, potentially even toxic.

Luckily, humans and other animals have worked out a solution to this riddle. Consider the squirrel. Squirrels typically don’t eat the nuts they collect until they have been buried in the earth for some time. Burying the seeds stimulates the seeds to germinate, which unlocks the nutrients in the seeds and breaks down their anti-nutrients. Once the seed has germinated, the squirrels dig up the seeds and partake of a now perfect food. Squirrels probably forget where some of the seeds were buried, and these grow up to be the new trees. In essence, then, the squirrels are acting as the planting agents for the trees. Squirrels get perfect food; the trees get free propagation help.

Humans can be as intelligent as squirrels if we put our minds to it. We can also take raw seeds, bury them, or, in our case, soak or sprout them. Once they have germinated and converted the anti-nutrients to valuable food, we can grind them or make them into products. The toxic (to us) seeds then become a valuable foundational food for humanity. This is the principle behind our soaked, sprouted and minimally processed nut and seed butters. Properly prepared seeds are one of nature’s most nutrient-dense, nourishing foods. They are a food enjoyed by everyone, but especially children, and form a valuable addition to any healing diet. 

Best,
Tom