Sprouting chickpeas

Some might think of sprouting seeds and legumes as a bit of a chore, but it really is the epitome of minimum effort, maximum return. I promise you, if you give it a go, you’ll see that Sprouting is Worth It!

Many people will be familiar with chickpeas, for example in hummus, falafel and curries.

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) are a nutritional heavyweight: rich in protein and fibre, with complex carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals and an assortment of bioactive compounds.

In the WellDog Pantry we use dried chickpeas. Canned chickpeas cannot be sprouted because they are subjected to intense heat and pressure sterilisation during the canning process, which cooks them and effectively kills the seed embryo, making germination biologically impossible. The high heat permanently deactivates the internal enzymes that would normally break down starches to fuel the sprout’s growth.

Legumes, beans and flatulence

Some people are wary about feeding beans, or even eating beans, because they can lead to flatulence. Because dogs (and humans) lack the specific digestive enzyme required to break down complex indigestible sugars (oligosaccharides) in the small intestine, the move to the large intestine, where they are fermented by gut bacteria. This fermentation process produces gases like hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane, which we experience as flatulence. I just discovered that humans even take over-the-counter supplements immediately before eating to break down the sugars! Soaking is another option, of course. Especially for the dogs…

Getting more out of your chickpeas

Soaking

A pre-cooking soak is always advisable, whether you proceed to sprouting or not. Soaking dried chickpeas softens the outer skin and shortens the overall cooking time. Typically, soaking also removes about 10% to 50% of the oligosaccharides, depending on the legume type.  Soaking and rinsing legumes acts like a natural time-release modifier. It sheds the excess, highly fermentable soluble sugars that cause gas. What arrives in the gut is a more balanced, slow-burning prebiotic-rich mix of starches, fibres and remaining oligosaccharides that the human or canine microbiome can steadily ferment without the feeding frenzy that leads to discomfort and distress.

Sprouting

From a biological standpoint, a dried chickpea is a seed in a state of suspended animation. It contains a living plant embryo. When you introduce water, you trigger a biological wake-up call that activates enzymes and causes the seed to germinate. Sprouting is also fascinating counterpoint to soaking. When a raw, dried chickpea sprouts, the living plant actually consumes its own oligosaccharides to fuel its growth. This makes sprouted chickpeas easier on canine digestive systems.

Enhancing bioactive compounds

The sprouting or germination process substantially increases bioactive compounds; germinating seeds and legumes contain many more bioactive phytochemicals than the adult plant. Recent research shows some particularly striking changes in chickpeas.

For example:

  • Total flavonoid content increased 3.25–3.95-fold after germination, depending on the chickpea variety.[1]
  • Total phenolic content increased 2.38–2.47-fold.[1]
  • Germination also significantly increased free amino acids and soluble protein.[1]
  • Total dietary fibre increased, although its composition changed, with a reduction in insoluble fibre.[1]
  • In vitro protein digestibility increased from 80.5% to 84.03% after 48 hours of germination, equivalent to an increase of approximately 4.4%.[2]
  • Germination reduced trypsin inhibitor activity, one of the compounds that can interfere with protein digestion.[2]
  • Unlike mung beans, tannin levels in chickpeas remained essentially unchanged after 24 and 48 hours of germination.[2]

So sprouting isn’t simply producing a little shoot from a chickpea. It activates a seed that was previously dormant, altering both its nutrients and some of the compounds that affect how those nutrients are accessed.

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The germination process

So, here’s what to do to add this cheap and nourishing ingredient to your dog’s diet (and your own).

Put the desired amount of chickpeas in the jar. Chickpeas swell to about twice their size, so don’t fill the jar to more than a third of the way up if you are sprouting. Once you have an idea of how many sprouts this will produce, you’ll know how many to use in your next batch. As an indication of how they swell: the three photographs below were taken at 11.46, 13.50 and 17.12 on day one.

Screw the lid on firmly. Add water, rinse the chickpeas and drain. Refill, this time allowing the chickpeas soak in the water for approximately 12 hours. This starts the sprouting process.

Day One:

      

After the initial soaking period, drain the water, rinse the chickpeas and tilt the jar at an angle to drain excess water. This process should be repeated twice daily until the chickpeas have sprouted. Make sure that water is drained thoroughly each time and then position the jar at an angle.

Day Two:

     

If you notice something that looks a bit fuzzy or furry near the stem, don’t worry. It isn’t mould – these are just mini root hairs, which will disappear when the sprouts are rinsed! (Make sure when you rinse that you disturb the sprouts; this will discourage the furry growth.)

Day Three:

     

Day Four:

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References:

[1] Xue J, Yang J, Yin Y. Study on Effect of Germination on Flavonoid Content and Nutritional Value of Different Varieties of Chickpeas. Foods. 2025;14(13):2157. doi:10.3390/foods14132157.

[2] Yılmaz Tuncel N, et al. The Effect of Germination on Antinutritional Components, In Vitro Starch and Protein Digestibility, Content, and Bioaccessibility of Phenolics and Antioxidants of Some Pulses. Food Science & Nutrition. 2025;13(5). doi:10.1002/fsn3.70103.

Kadyan S, Sharma A, Arjmandi BH, Singh P, Nagpal R. Prebiotic Potential of Dietary Beans and Pulses and Their Resistant Starch for Aging-Associated Gut and Metabolic Health. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 21;14(9):1726. doi: 10.3390/nu14091726. PMID: 35565693; PMCID: PMC9100130.

Important Considerations:

  • Always consult your veterinarian before making any significant dietary changes, particularly where there are pre-existing health conditions or dietary restrictions.
  • If you are feeding commercial food, check the label for ingredients before giving more. Excessive intake of any foods can have adverse effects.
  • Ensure (where possible) that you use high-quality, organic products specifically formulated for pets (or better still, human grade ingredients) to avoid any potential adverse effects.
  • Introduce new foods gradually to avoid adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset or diarrhoea.
  • I provide nutritional information purely as a helpful guide. Nutritional information on ingredients is obtained from the US Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central site (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html) and any nutritional information provided in recipes is based on an online calculator: calories and other information will vary based on brands, ingredients and other factors.
  • Check nutrient levels and recommendations for your dog’s weight, age and activity. For example, this nutritional guideline produced by FEDIAF.
  • I am not a professional canine nutritionist, but supporting research is cited.
  • The recipes shared were created by me and tested in my kitchen – and tasted and approved by our doggy friends!