Why are pulses so good for us?
It is hard to beat pulses when it comes to nutrition. Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, split peas are an excellent source of slow burning, gluten free carbohydrate and vegetarian protein and they're one of the highest fibre foods you can eat.
Pulses are also an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin linked to a healthy pregnancy and a lower risk of colon cancer. Lentils and beans also offer calcium, magnesium and potassium, minerals that help keep blood pressure in check. And they're a good source of iron for vegetarians.
Studies suggest that eating pulses at least four times per week helps lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer.
How good are they? How to they compare to other protein foods?
Well, one cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein. That's the protein equivalent of three eggs or 2.5 ounces of steak or 2/3 cup of cottage cheese. But unlike animal protein foods, along with that protein you don't get saturated fat or cholesterol.
And you also get fibre. This one cup of lentils, for example, has 15 grams of fibre. That's as much fibre as you get in 3/4 cup of 100 per cent bran cereal. And it's roughly half a day's worth of fibre for men and more than half a day's worth for women.
Does their nutritional content change if they are dried or canned? What's the most nutritional way to eat them?
No. They are equally nutritious. Dried beans need to be soaked (to rehydrate them) before they are cooked. Dried beans do have a superior taste and texture than canned beans, but they do take longer to prepare.
Canned beans are incredibly convenient because they're already cooked. They are ready to add to salads, soups, stews, whole grain dishes, you name it. But you do need to drain and rinse them first to remove excess sodium – and some of the carbohydrates that cause gas.
How much of these foods should we be eating?
Health Canada advises eating beans, lentils and peas more often as an alternative to meat to reduce saturated fat and increase fibre intake. A food guide serving of legumes equals 3/4 cup, about the size of a tennis ball.
The famous DASH diet to lower high blood pressure recommends eating them four times per week.
My advice: if you are already eating lentils and beans, aim for four servings per week – or more. If you're new to these foods, start by incorporating them into your diet once or twice per week and gradually increase how often you eat them.
