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Imagine a crunchy, vibrant handful of sprouts added to your salad bowl. That simple addition can transform both the texture and nutrition of your meal. On his YouTube channel Breathe with Shai, creator and wellness coach Shai Rowe shares a simple method for sprouting lentils at home, highlighting how this budget-friendly staple can become, in his words, “an anti-inflammatory superfood.”
Rowe, known for his raw plant-based lifestyle and holistic health focus, introduces his process as part of his broader philosophy. “We learn to remember our purpose through daily practices that incorporate the mind, body, and spirit,” he says. In the video, he walks viewers through each stage, from soaking lentils overnight to rinsing them twice daily over three days, while describing how sprouted lentils have helped him personally.
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He explains that eating lentils this way makes them easier to digest. “I’m easily able to digest lentils in this form,” he says. “Some beans that I used to eat, they would cause me to be gassy and bloated. When I switched to sprouting the lentils, I’ve noticed that I don’t get that with eating it this way.” He adds that sprouting improves protein absorption, making them ideal for recovery after exercise.
“The protein profile is even more…available when they’re sprouted. So, if you are someone who works out, someone who is on a plant-based diet, this can be a really, really great source of plant-based protein.”
Why sprouts are for everyone
Sprouted lentils, Rowe explains, can be a great option not just for people on raw or plant-based diets, but for anyone looking to eat more whole foods. He notes that a small bag of lentils costs him around USD $1.49 and provides enough for several salad bowls, calling it “a beautiful superfood that is very affordable.”
Beyond affordability, he points out their gut-health benefits. “This is a great way to improve your gut health as well,” he says. “It helps to regulate the microbiome in your gut, which helps you to be regular, which helps you to absorb all of the nutrients that you need.”
He also credits them for reducing inflammation, something he personally noticed after switching his diet. “This is an anti-inflammatory superfood,” he says. “So this also has a lot of antioxidants in it, which helps with inflammation in the body.” He shares that he used to feel inflammation in his wrists and ankles, but with “sprouted lentils, I’ve definitely seen an improvement in inflammation and also mucus in my body.”
Scientific research supports much of what Rowe describes. Studies have found that sprouting legumes such as lentils increases nutrient availability, reduces antinutrients, and enhances digestibility. According to the National Institutes of Health, sprouting improves protein quality, raises levels of essential amino acids, and decreases compounds like phytic acid that block mineral absorption.
Healthline also reports that sprouted grains and legumes may provide more accessible vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, and vitamin C. In practical terms, this means sprouted lentils not only digest more easily but also deliver more usable nutrition per bite.
How to sprout lentils at home
Rowe’s sprouting method is straightforward and accessible. He begins by soaking dry lentils in spring or filtered water overnight in the refrigerator. “I’m going to add about two-thirds of this bag of lentils into a glass container,” he says. “This is going to go in the refrigerator. We’re going to soak this overnight for about 12 hours.”
The next day, he drains and rinses them, then spreads them out in a shallow glass bowl covered with a paper towel and leaves them in a cool, dry place. “After evenly washing the lentils, I’m now going to put them in a flat glass bowl,” he explains. “And I’m just going to spread them out so that they have a little bit more room to grow and sprout.”
He rinses them twice daily, morning and afternoon, to keep them fresh and hydrated. “This will be the first rinse,” he says. “I like to rinse them in the morning, and then I’ll rinse them in the late afternoon.” After three days, he says, the lentils are “beautiful” with “beautiful growth here…these are pretty much done”. If desired, he notes you can “sprout them for one more day if you would like, but I’m going to stop here on day three.”
He stores his finished sprouts in the refrigerator and adds them to salads and raw bowls throughout the week. “It made so much of this in this bowl,” he says. “This might last me about three to four salad bowls… and I still have a third left.”
What to know about sprouting safely
While sprouting at home offers big nutritional benefits, there are also safety concerns to be aware of. Because sprouting requires moisture and warmth, the same conditions that allow seeds to germinate also encourage bacterial growth. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that raw sprouts have been linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness, including E. coli and Salmonella.
The Mayo Clinic echoes this, advising people to avoid eating raw sprouts if they are immunocompromised, pregnant, elderly, or very young, since these groups are at higher risk of infection. Food safety authorities recommend washing hands, sanitizing containers, and discarding any sprouts that smell sour or appear slimy.
Cooking is the most effective way to make sprouts safe to eat. Even a quick sauté or a quick steam can destroy bacteria while retaining much of the texture and nutrient value. The Journal of Food Protection emphasizes that safe storage and handling are essential when sprouting grains or legumes at home, as microbial growth can occur within 48 hours under warm conditions.
Even with these caveats, sprouted lentils remain a practical and powerful addition to almost any diet. They’re versatile enough for salads, grain bowls, wraps, or blended dips, and they deliver a concentrated source of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. For Rowe, they’ve become a staple in his raw, plant-based diet.
His step-by-step method makes sprouting approachable for anyone willing to try it at home, and the results, both in taste and well-being, can be transformative.
For more breathwork and holistic wellness content, check out the Breathe with Shai YouTube channel.
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