POLOKWANE – Meat is getting more expensive by the day, and your budget for groceries remains the same, so what is the perfect solution for a great tasting healthy balanced meal?
Legumes are cheap, healthy, and a tasty substitute for meat, they can be used to extend the meat portion on your plate.
Pulses form part of the legumes family and include dried peas, beans, chickpeas, and lentils. It is very versatile and is packed full of protein, fibre, and many vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, phosphorus, folic acid, and other B vitamins, as well as phytochemicals.
Eating legumes/pulses regularly reduces your risk for chronic disease like heart disease, high cholesterol of blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, and some types of cancer. The fibre also helps to prevent constipation and help manage symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and provides protection against gallstones.
So how much should you eat then:
- ½ cup cooked legumes (dried peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas) is equivalent to a 30g serving of meat, poultry, fish or 1 egg.
- Try to include legumes into your diet at least two meals per week.
Remember that dried beans and legumes, with the exception to black-eyed peas and lentils, need to be soaked in room-temperature water before cooking. This rehydrates the legumes, promotes more even cooking, removes indigestible carbohydrates that can cause bloating, and flatulence and it shortens cooking time.
Forgot to soak your beans for supper? Skip soaking by opening a can of pulses; just remember to drain of the water and rinse contents under clean safe water to remove the excess sodium.
Do not let your fear of the unknown hold you back, cook some legumes for supper tonight!
Look for recipes on the internet or in food magazines, see some suggestions below.
- Lentil bobotie
- Chickpea kung pao
- Buy (or make your own) hummus (pureed chickpeas) as a dip
- Lentil bolognaise
- Vegetarian burger
- Split pea soup
- Bean sprout risotto
- Tofu salad/burger/stew
Anke van Waveren
Registered dietitian
