How Good For You Are Lentils
There is a lot in the media/press at the moment about eating more pulses, such as lentils and less meat. Partly for environmental reasons, which are really important. But the focus of this article will be on the effects on your health. How good for you are lentils?
What types of lentils are there?
Before I go any further let me give you my general approach on how much meat to eat, how to use lentils and pulses etc.
I personally still eat a fair bit of meat, especially lean meat such as chicken. I probably have red meat once a week and very rarely processed meat such as ham or bacon. A lot of people get put off pulses by trying to have totally meat free meals. Try half and half. For me that works a lot better because you still have the chicken (or whatever meat it is) in there. And that way the taste, texture and overall dish is more similar to what you are used to and enjoy. Rather than cutting all the meat out and just having a lentil and bean stew. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with doing that if you enjoy it. But the priority should be to decrease meat intake and increase lentil and pulses intake. As with anything if you try to be too extreme the chances of you sticking to it will be less.
The main lentils you can get are brown, green, puy, yellow and red. The brown are earthy and generally used more in stews. Puy lentils are the smaller ones that you would probably get in a restaurant. There are a bit more expensive. Green lentils are similar to puy but bigger. Yellow and red lentils are split so you can cook them a bit quicker. Often used in daals and have a slightly sweet and nutty flavour.
Nutritional Values and Benefits
100 grams of (raw) lentils would contain the following (each variety will vary slightly);
Calories – 355
Carbs – 60 grams
Protein – 27 grams
Fibre – 23.5 grams
Thiamine – 42% of the DV
Niacin – 20% of the DV
Vitamin B6 – 31% of the DV
Folate – 135% of the DV
Pantothenic acid – 37.5% of the DV
Iron – 53% of the DV
Magnesium – 25% of the DV
Phosphorus – 42% of the DV
Potassium – 24% of the DV
Zinc – 34% of the DV
Copper – 82% of the DV
Manganese – 65% of the DV
This is an awful lots of vitamins and minerals in 1 product. It’s also important to note that as the lentils cook and they absorb water and other fluid they increase in size and puff up. So 100 grams raw might not seem like much, but it really is once cooked.
What Should I use them for?
Personally I would usually use them in a stew or soup to thicken it up. Or get a spice mix and cook a lentil daal with them. Here is a site with some great lentil options to try. Try replacing some of the protein you would get from whatever meat is in your usual stew with the lentils. E.g. if you usually have a chicken stew recipe, use half chicken and half lentils. Not only will this benefit your health from eating less meat. It will also save you money and make you food more nutrient rich.