All about: Beans and Lentils
Beans, beans are good for your heart, beans, beans, they make you … ok, I’ll stop there! Beans and lentils are part of the legume family which includes other beans such as kidney beans, cannellini beans, black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans and peanuts, amongst others. Legumes are grown in the same way, they are grown by plants that produce pods which hold the seeds (i.e. the beans or lentils) inside. Beans and lentils are grown and eaten all over the world, in Canada too! Many cuisines use beans and lentils as staples as they are easy to find, nutritious, delicious and inexpensive.
Legume Nutrition
Beans and lentils are superheroes when it comes to nutrition. They are a great source of protein, iron, zinc, fibre, folate, magnesium and potassium. These nutrients play key roles when it comes to staying healthy. Protein, iron and zinc are the same nutrients we find in animal sources, such as meat, poultry and fish. That means, beans and lentils are a great alternative to sources of animal protein. In addition, they are high in fibre and low in saturated fat making them heart healthy and great for the gut too.
Beans and lentils contain something called resistant starches. Resistant starches aren’t digested in the small intestine, instead they are fermented in the large intestine. This fermentation leads to the production of good bacteria in the gut which promotes a healthy microbiome leading to a healthy gut. Worried about gas? It is true that beans and lentils can lead to gas build up in the tummy (gas that only has one way out!). There is no evidence to support that rinsing beans actually reduces gas build up but anecdotally it seems to work. So, to help prevent gas and bloating from beans and lentils, try rinsing them well before eating if they are coming from a can. If you are cooking them yourself, always toss the water you soaked them in and add fresh water before cooking. The most important thing to know is that the more often you include beans and lentils in your meals, the more accustomed your gut gets to beans and the gas and bloating seems to improve over time.
How to prepare and eat beans?
Beans and lentils can be used in so many recipes and as a substitute for meat. Beans and lentils are inexpensive and full of great nutrition. Beans and lentils conveniently come in cans, which makes things really easy. The one thing to remember is to look for canned beans with no added salt, or rinse them really well under cool running water in a colander to get rid of the extra salt. Preparing beans from dry is also very simple. For beans (kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, navy beans etc.) soak in a pot of water overnight, toss the soaking liquid, add fresh water, then boil until beans are soft (i.e. they mash easily when pressed with the back of a fork). Lentils do not require soaking, however should be rinsed before boiling. Green and brown lentils cook in about 30 minutes, while red lentils take less time, 15-20 minutes. Add 1 cup of lentils to 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
What to make with beans and lentils?
Add beans or lentils to pasta recipes
Add them to salads
Blend different varieties of beans with olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices to create signature bean dips / spreads
Add pureed beans or lentils to muffin recipes
Check out www.pulses.org for recipes and ideas
Check out my Recipes section for some great meal ideas using beans and lentils. You’ll find recipes for Black Bean dip, Pasta e fagipoli, Minestrone soup and Chickpea meatballs, Baby bean bites and Red lentil and veggie soup.