Lifestyle Influencer Shares Ingenious Hack to Grow Protein-Rich Mung Bean Sprouts by Reusing Empty Milk Carton

The power of mung bean sprouts in adding one of the most important nutrients to the body is often underrated. These sprouts are one of the richest protein sources, as per WebMD. Lifestyle content creator, Uyen Ninh (@uyenninh), demonstrated a method to grow these sprouts using an empty milk carton. “It is so easy I wish I knew it sooner,” she wrote about the hack in the video caption.

As the video opened, Ninh displayed a regular-sized milk carton in front of the camera. “Have you ever tried growing mung beans all by yourself,” she asked her viewers. The method she described is “super easy.” It involves rinsing an empty bottle of milk with water. Once the bottle is clean and dry, “put about a hundred grams of mung or green beans inside,” Ninh explained while pouring the beans inside a yellow milk carton through a funnel. She then instructed the viewers to fill up the bottle with water and wait for up to three hours so the beans could soak in enough water. 

“Cut one corner of the box with a scissor so air can get inside. Pour all of the water out and then put the box somewhere dark for a day,” she added. For six consecutive days, the mung beans in the carton have to be rinsed and stored in a dark place after draining the water. The content creator showed what happened when she followed these steps. She tore open a flap of the carton and revealed the box inside filled with fresh green sprouts, their ivory shoots bursting out from the green-yellow bulbs. Ninh is not the only one, couple influencers @ms_she_mr_he also vouch for this milk carton method for growing mung bean sprouts.

Also known by names like “golden gram,” “green gram,” and “moong,” the protein-rich mung beans are vastly popular across the globe, especially among people who prefer vegetarian food. In the comment section of Ninh's video, many people shared how this legume is a celebrated food in their own cultures. “My mom just puts them in a bowl of water for a few days and they grow. We love to eat them in my culture,” said @tabosco.simp.

People from different countries shared their unique recipes and styles of eating mung sprouts. @theprivatelifeofchingu described, “Eating sprouts is very common in India too! Often it is sold as early morning snacks with lime, salt, onions, and tomatoes! They are a favorite of mine.” @askasabrina talked about Indonesia, “In Indonesia sometimes we saute with tofu or eat them like salad and peanut sauce or with seasoned grated coconut.“ @peggyolsen2 added, “Love mung beans and their sprouts! We call them monggo and toge respectively, here in the Philippines” @fnk_nn said, “I love them in sandwiches!”

Others asked questions related to germinating mung beans in their kitchens. @charmaine_champ asked whether it’s okay to eat raw bean sprouts as it may trigger gas in the body, to which Ninh replied that they can be fried as well. Someone asked whether the same trick be applied to growing soybean sprouts. According to Morgane Recipes, soybeans can indeed be germinated in a milk carton just like mung beans, as sprouts generally don’t need any light.

Another question people asked was whether these sprouts could be grown in a glass jar instead of a milk carton. Although Ninh hasn’t yet responded to this question in the comments, Seedmart Australia suggests that sprouts can be grown in a glass jar given that they are taken care of properly. Ideally, the jar should not be overcrowded with sprouts as it may lead to mold issues. Additionally, if the sprouts turn soggy or too watery, they must be discarded right away. Once ready, the little sprouted seeds can be eaten raw or as part of a dish like a lime-and-chili sprout salad, stir-fry sprouts, sprout noodles; the list is endless.

You can follow Uyen Ninh (@uyenninh) on TikTok for more amazing kitchen hacks and recipes!