Growing Wheat Grass and Health Benefits

Grow fresh wheat grass at home with ordinary wheat berries plus a few simple supplies!

I have a vague memory of growing wheat grass with my mom, and then putting it a smoothie. I just called her to confirm, and she said ‘Yes we did, and it was not good’. Haha!

Wheat grass was all the rage about a decade ago. Smoothie shops sold shots of wheat grass juice or put the whole blades of wheat grass into blended drinks.

I haven’t tried eating wheat grass myself since back in the day. I was curious about the health benefits of wheat grass (aside from the much needed ‘green therapy’ it can provide during dreary winter months) and this is what I found:

Health Effects of Wheat Grass

Wheat grass is a nutrient-rich type of young grass in the wheat family that is sold in a variety of forms as a dietary supplement
Proponents say that wheat grass has numerous health benefits, but there are no significant research studies to support wheat grass health claims.
Wheat grass does provide a concentrated amount of nutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C and E
A serving of 30ml of wheat grass juice is equivalent to the vitamin and mineral content of 30g of fresh vegetables.
Many people who swear by it say that the potent ingredient in wheat grass is chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color. They claim chlorophyll acts like hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen) and increases oxygen levels in the body.

My personal opinion is that although the ‘health claims’ from wheat grass have not been substantiated, we do know that it is a very concentrated source of a lot of good nutrients.

So if you are looking for a quick way to get a lot of nutrients in, wheat grass just might be something to try. But before you eat it… you have to grow it! Here’s how.

How to Grow Wheat Grass at Home

We started by putting a little bit of sand (from our sandbox) in the bottom of each jar. This is just to make sure it has good drainage in case some little people water it a bit too much. You can grow this in any container you want, but its fun if it is glass and then your kids can see the roots growing also.

Fill it about 3/4 full with potting soil.

Next soak wheat berries in water for about 8-12 hours. Change out the water about half way through. We accidentally soaked ours for 16 hours because we left the overnight. And they are just fine and sprouting like little champs.

After they are nice and soaked, drain the water and then sprinkle the wheat berries over your soil.

Mist with a spray bottle several times a day to keep them moist but not too wet.

Then wait for them to start growing!!

You can use these for fun centerpieces around your house.

And also for Easter! So fun to have some fresh green grass around the house! Especially when it is almost the end of March and it SNOWS at your house. Plus then when you are done enjoying your grass your kids can give it a ‘haircut’ which they will love! And then if you are feeling extra brave you can juice it or toss it in a smoothie and enjoy some of the health benefits. Have you ever tried drinking wheat grass??