Legumes are a nutrient-dense, cheap and very versatile food, but unfortunately they do not always receive the due credit and attention they deserve. Today, I want to tell you a little about this interesting food and bring you 3 reasons to include legumes in your plate on a daily basis.
Reason 1: high nutritional value!
From the classic beans (in all their varieties) and chickpeas, to peas, lentils, soybeans, peanuts and lupins, all these legumes are very rich and are an excellent source of macro and micronutrients. By including them in your diet you are including good sources of Protein, Fiber, B vitamins, Iron, Copper, Magnesium and much more.
In your health, the benefits are reflected mainly in the digestive system (improved intestinal transit, more satiety) but also in the cardiovascular system (controlled blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes).
Reason 2: affordability!
But its benefits don’t just stop at our health!
Our wallet also benefits from the inclusion of this food in our diet. And this is the second reason: legumes are quite affordable, especially when purchased dry. As a general rule, after soaking and cooking, dried legumes more than double their volume. For example, a 500g package of dry red beans costs, roughly, £1.30 but after soaking and cooking it yields around 1.5kg.
It is true to say, with little you can do a lot!
Reason 3: sustainability!
Finally, the third reason: the sustainability of our planet’s resources.
For example, did you know that to produce 1kg of beef you need more than 15,000 liters of water and 326.21 m² of land? On the other hand, 1kg of dry legumes requires around 5,000 liters of water and around 15.57 m² of land!
Drinking water and fertile land are increasingly scarce goods, and for the sake of food sustainability, if one or two days a week we exchange meat and fish for legumes, we are already helping to optimize the planet’s resources.
Do you need ideas to include legumes in your daily diet?
Here are some suggestions:
- Bean/chickpea burgers
- Chickpea/lentil curry
- Lentil dhal
- Soy/lentil bolognese (see my fave recipe below)
- Humus
- Bean paste
- Meatless chilli
- Pea stew
Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 Carrot (grated)
- 1/2 Red Pepper (chopped)
- Spring Onion (chopped)
- 250g Mushrooms (chopped)
- 2 Garlic Cloves (chopped)
- 1 can of chopped Tomato
- Water
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 150ml Red Wine
- 100g Red Lentils
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Miso Pasta
How-to:
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a deep frying pan/pan.
- Add the onion, carrot, chives and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the wine and mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and let it cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato, tomato puree, water and miso paste and mix everything together. Wait until it boils.
- Add the lentils, bay leaves, oregano and thyme, stirring to coat.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes and stir until the lentils are well cooked. If necessary, add more water so that the bolognese does not become dry and the lentils stick together.
- Serve over a serving of spaghetti, tagliatelle or other pasta of your choice.
Article originally written in Portuguese and published in the May 2022 edition of the Solidar Magazine, in Portugal.
