What would you say if I told you there was a cheap, easily accessible way to boost your health, but you probably overlook it every time you visit your supermarket?
You’d probably say ‘yeah ok Linda – I’m always careful to read the labels and buy my veggies, I’ve got this sorted’
But the fact is, there ARE some little goodies that you probably are missing out on – and it’s not because they are hard to find. You may already even have some lurking in the depths of your pantry. It’s more likely that you just aren’t exactly sure how to use them.
I’m talking about legumes. Things like red lentils, chickpeas, pinto beans, black-eyed peas (no, not the band), borlotti beans, mung beans and even ye ole faithful split peas. These incredibly versatile and easy-to-cook treasures are something that I’ve noticed most of us don’t eat regularly. And in most cases, my observation has been (bean?) that we simply don’t know how to cook with them. Until recently, they haven’t formed a large part of the Australian ‘way of doing things’. We still remain very much a meat-and-three-veg nation in our habits.
Which is a shame in a way, as we really are missing out on many of the benefits that these little nutrition heroes have to offer.
‘Cool Beans, Man!’
The first thing that comes to mind for me when I think about legumes is not the health benefits (although plenty about these below), but it’s how economical they are. With rising costs of living making us pay more attention to our weekly food bill, legumes (also called pulses) can be a great way to help provide maximum satisfaction & nutrition for minimum investment.
They are also very versatile – not only can you use them in a range of dishes, but they really can be quite delicious once you get the hang of how to prepare them. They are best friends with herbs & spices (think Mexican food, Texan-style chillis, Indian dhal curries, hearty Italian soups, Middle-Eastern dips…yum!) which means that you can create a range of dishes quite easily.
Convenience also ticks the box for me. I cook my pulses in bulk (I’ll tell you more about this below) and freeze in individual portions for quick, easy additions to meals. Cooking your own legumes from dried not only taste heaps better than the canned equivalent (although these are totally fine to use if you happen to like them), it also means that you are avoiding unnecessary toxin exposure from the linings of cans, plus you can control the quantity of salt used if you are keeping an eye on your blood pressure.
Finally, of course legumes are a fantastic source of nutrition. They contain vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and slow-burning carbohydrates, making them perfect if you are looking for a health boost or a simple way to enhance weight-loss. In fact, I’ve noticed that legumes of some kind appear on virtually all of our Metabolic Balance personalised nutrition foods lists (which are different for each individual person) – meaning that they are an ideal food for the majority of people. They are also a staple food during our 4-Week Detox/Gut Care Program too.
My Faves
I aim to include a few meals based around legumes each week. Although I do eat animal proteins like chicken, fish, meat and sheep/goat’s cheeses, my own personalised nutrition plan revealed to me that my ideal foods were very much ‘ominvore-style’ (ie a mixture of animal + plant foods). And after having been vegetarian for several years in my late teens, I absolutely feel that this is correct, and the perfect balance for me. My husband, on the other hand, did NOT receive many legume options at all on his own Metabolic Balance foods list – unsurprisingly, he’s not a big fan.
I use legumes in a variety of ways, but here are my favourites:
- Soup. This is the easiest way to cook legumes if you are new to using them. My favourite to use is red lentils, as they are the only variety that doesn’t require a soaking step. Simply rinse and add to your soup recipe – not only are they filling, they also add a lovely texture. I love to make a large batch of curried pumpkin & red lentil soup in my slow cooker, or use whatever veg I happen to have in the crisper – cauliflower, leek, sweet potato, carrot & broccoli (or a combination) works well.
- Quick Meals. If I’m in a hurry, or am particularly tired, my go-to meal is quesadillas. I keep a stash of wraps in the freezer (they can be defrosted one at a time, in less than 5 mins) and use a filling of pinto/borlotti/black beans (or a can of 4-bean mix works well) with chopped capsicum, onion and corn, sprinkled with Mexican chilli spice and some grated cheese. 1 wrap folded in half is a good size for 1 adult, or if there are 2 or more you can use a whole wrap as the base and add another on top – cook in the frypan until golden and cheese has melted, and flip halfway through. Served with mashed avocado and a chopped tomato and cucumber salsa on the side and you have a cheap and cheery meal, that’s ready before you can say ‘Uber Eats’. There are also lots of other ways you can use legumes as a quick meal option, and you may be able to find some other ideas online.
- Sprouts. Easy to make (and a little bit of fun for our inner child!), legume sprouts can add interest and a nutrient boost to salads. You can use a jam jar or purchase a sprouting jar – soak whole lentils, mung beans, chickpeas or soy beans overnight, then rinse a couple of times a day, draining all the water each time. If you keep your jar in a warm, well-lit area, you’ll have some yummy sprouts in no time.
- Dips. Try whizzing up a homemade dip or hummus or refried beans using pinto beans, white beans or chickpeas. These are far healthier (and tastier) than commercially prepared dips that are available in the supermarket, that often contain additives, unhealthy oils and preservatives. There are plenty of recipes for homemade legume dips on the net.
- Adding bulk and flavour to recipes. You can always stretch the meat content of many dishes by adding some pre-cooked legumes. Recipes that work well here include curries, casseroles, soups, lasagnes and burgers.
Beans, Beans, Good For Your Heart…
I won’t continue with the rest of that rhyme….I know as well as you do that you know how it goes!
The downside of legumes is that they have an unfortunate (yet not undeserved) reputation for causing some gut upsets and gas. This is because legumes are high in fibre – not only do they contain a good whack of insoluble fibre (which helps provide bulk to the stool so we can move our bowels), they can also supply soluble fibre (fantastic for our cholesterol levels) and resistant starch (which is great for our gut flora and immune health). Getting enough fibre is crucial to lowering the risk of a whole range of health conditions (particularly ‘lifestyle diseases’ such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease), and most people don’t get enough.
Preparing legumes properly, using the soaking and cooking steps below, removes a lot of the compounds that can trigger gut upsets and excess gas production. And if you still find that legumes cause you grief, it may be a sign that your gut health is not optimal. After working extensively with gut health for more than a decade, what I have observed is that most of the time an issue with a particular food is not usually about the food itself – it’s often a signal the body is sending about what’s going on in the gut (to segue a little, you can read more about my take on food intolerance here).
There’s also some talk in the online space about ‘antinutrients’ (such as lectins and phytates) that are found in legumes. These compounds have the potential to inhibit the absorption of certain beneficial nutrients (such as zinc or magnesium) and/or cause irritation to the lining of the gut wall. My approach here again comes back to gut health – if our gut health is in good shape, and you are eating a good range of different foods then these really aren’t much of a problem. Ensuring you are soaking and cooking your legumes properly takes care of most of these compounds. There is also some evidence to suggest that these compounds actually have the potential to trigger beneficial reactions in the body and improve cellular health.
How To Prepare & Cook Dried Pulses
It can be easy – and quick. Once you’ve got the basics down pat, it is super-simple to prepare a batch of legumes once every couple of months (or however often you plan to use them) and have them ready-to-use either straight away or pop in the freezer.
- Step 1 - Rinse. All dried pulses will need to be rinsed with clean water, and it is a good idea to pick through and discard any strange-looking or discoloured ones.
- Step 2 – Soak. Except for red lentils, all pulses need to be soaked. The soaking time can vary between types, however overnight is what I find the easiest. Fill a container (I use my cast iron enamel French oven) with the rinsed pulses and top up with water to at least twice the height of the beans. Cover and place in a cool area overnight.
- Step 3 – Discard the soaking water. Never cook with the soaking water, as this is where many of the compounds that can cause tummy issues have leached! Rinse the pulses with fresh water.
- Step 4 – Cook. Again, the times and methods can differ between varieties, so the best way to find specific directions for your chosen favourite is literally with a quick Google search. Most varieties will need 30-60 minutes on the stovetop, or several hours in a slow cooker.
- Step 5 – Use/Save. Your cooked legumes are now ready to add to your meal, pop in the fridge (store in a clean container for up to 3 days) or if you prefer to freeze them for later simply allow to cool completely before dividing into portions & freezing.
So there you have it. Far from being a big mystery, dried legumes can be an easy way to provide a tasty nutrient boost to your week – as well as being healthy for your budget.
Do you have a favourite way to use pulses? I’d love to hear about it – jump on over to our Facebook page and let me know!