Legumes are a group of plant foods that contain a wide variety of nutrients, loaded with health benefits. They are nutritious, healthy, economical and everyone should include them as a part of a well-balanced diet. Legumes are the seed, pod, or other edible part of the plant found in foods such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas. Legumes are high in fibre which helps with digestion of food inside our belly. Legumes also have a slow release of energy, so we don’t slump throughout the day. They are some of the only foods in the vegetable group that contain protein which can help us feel fuller for longer.
Legume health benefits include:
- Help manage energy levels
- Promote a healthy and happy gut
- Helps fight cholesterol (good for heart health)
- Help manage sugar levels for diabetics
- High in B vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium
- Good source of antioxidants
Legumes count towards a ‘vegetable’ serve and are a great asset to any diet to start to include. Here are a few simple tips to begin including legumes into your diet.
- Toss them in a salad
- Add them to your favourite curry or Mexican dish
- Snack on chickpeas
- Add baked beans to breakfast or use as snacks
- Put lentils in your soups
- Use a ‘hummus’-based dish. It’s just chickpeas blended together!
Including legumes into a healthy eating plan doesn’t mean you need to change a lot, but it does give you the opportunity to include a lot more beneficial nutrients into your favourite foods, recipes and your diet. Give them a try!
This week’s recipe: Chickpea curry is a delicious warm meal that can increase your legume and vegetable intake quite easily! A traditional curry paste (whether spicy or not) will leave tremendous amounts of flavour in your mouth and is a good idea for either lunch or dinner that will show you that vegetables can be a great substitute for meat from time to time!
If you have any questions about your diet or would like one-on-one dietary advice from your Able Dietician, send us a message letting us know what you’re after and we’ll be in touch to help you achieve your goals!
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