Hello everyone! Since my nutrition blogs seem to be hit, I figure
I write another. I can’t promise I will write a nutrition blog every month but
since it does seem to be what you all need more information on and since I am Master
Certified Nutritional Consultant, I will be trying to write more blogs on healthy
foods and their benefits and tips to stay healthy in your eating a long with
other helpful facts. If you want a more one on one personal experience with me
that caters to your needs feel free to contact to me, I will be glad to help
you!
This blog is going to go over a food that I believe a lot
people neglect or forget about which is Lentils. It’s a plant-based protein so
Vegans should always have this awesome little food in their diet. I will give
you the in and outs of this versatile plant and at the end of this blog I will
have some healthy recipes I believe you will enjoy. If you want more healthy recipes for lentils
just contact me and I will be glad to help you out!
What are lentils?
Lentils are a plant-based protein and the edible seed of the
legumes, that are versatile and check all the best nutrition boxes. So, let’s
take a moment and look at some of the healthy highlights of lentils, shall we?
·
26% of Lentils calories are contributed to protein
·
¾ of a cup of cooked Lentils provides more potassium
than a large banana
·
Lentils provide more Folate than any other plant
food
·
Lentils are high in fiber; 1 cup of cooked
lentils offers about 16grams of fiber
·
Lentils offer a steady, slow-burning source of
energy, due to the mix of the fiber and complex carbohydrates
·
Lentils are rich in a number of vitamins and
minerals including magnesium and iron being top of the list.
·
The mix of fiber, folic acid, and potassium in
lentils makes them a heart-healthy choice
Now there isn’t just one type lentil, but I am sure you all
knew that! There are actually four basic varieties of lentils brown, green,
red/yellow and specialty. Let me tell you a little about each type and what
they are good for.
Brown lentils are the most common variety any bag in the
grocery store that says “lentils” without any other descriptor is most likely
full of brown lentils. This is the type I use mainly as well when it comes to
my dishes and can range in color from khaki brown to dark black and has a mild,
earthy flavor. Brown lentil holds their shape well during cooking, making it
ideal for use in warm salads, casseroles, soups, and stews. Brown lentils also
work well in veggie burgers or vegetarian meatloaf or going half and half with
your meat.
Green lentils are extremely similar to brown lentils, but
they have a more robust and slightly peppery flavor and come in a range of
sizes. Green lentils can vary in color from a pale or spotted green to a
green-slate color with hints of blue and black. Like brown lentils, green
lentils retain their shape well. This, combined with their strong flavor, makes
green lentils ideal for salads or side dishes.
Then you have red and yellow lentils which range from color
of golden yellow to orange and red. They are also the only variety sold
“split,” meaning they processed into smaller lentil bits. They are somewhat
sweet and nutty and are very common in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine and
are the key to classic dishes such as Indian dhal. Because of their “split”
nature, this variety of lentil tends to disintegrate when cooked, making them
ideal to use in soups or stews (especially as a thickener), and in casseroles
or any other dish where they are pureed
Last but not least specialty lentils. There are many
varieties of specialty lentils, but two are most common are black beluga and puy.
Both varieties are about one-third of the size of brown or green lentils and
have a rich, earthy flavor.
Black beluga lentils when cooked, are shiny, tiny, and black
and they look kind of like caviar; hence their name. Thanks to their rich,
earthy flavor, soft texture, and appearance, these lentils make a great base
for salads or as a feature with any kind of protein.
Puy lentils are grown in the volcanic soil of a specific
region in central France called Le Puy. Puy lentils are known for their dark,
bluish-slate-green color and rich, peppery flavor. These high-quality lentils
should star as the center of a meal. They make a great base for meat or fish,
or can be easily featured in a side dish or main dish salad.
Lentils are also very inexpensive for those who are trying
to eat healthy and cut on cost. That is actually the number one complaint I get
is that eating healthy cost so much. My response is not if you know how to do
it right. Well one way is if you are a meat eater is substituting some of your meat
options with lentils or mixing. Here are some ideas.
You can incorporate a meat-free meal weekly or make it two. It
won’t hurt you in fact it will probably make you much healthier over all and
will cut on food cost. Don’t sacrifice your nutrition though, 100 grams of
lentils provide almost as much protein as a steak72% of your daily fiber and
more than enough of your potassium needs, and that is not adding in all the
other healthy ingredients in just a plant-based meal.
If you want your meat to go further add even a healthier
element to it try mixing cooked lentils with your meat (this will not go well
with all meats of course just ground meat). Simply swap ¼ to ½ of your meat
with cooked lentils in burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, tacos, chili and even
pasta sauce.
Those tips are great but here are a few recipes to get you started. Like I said you want more just contact me!
Ratatouille with Lentils
Ingredients
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and drained
1 small eggplant (12 ounces), peeled and cubed
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and
oregano, undrained
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium yellow summer squash and/or zucchini, halved
lengthwise and cut into ½-inch-thick slices (about 2½ cups)
1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup water
¼ to ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Prep:25 m
Ready In: 4 h 25 m
Introductions:
In a 3½- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine lentils, eggplant,
undrained tomatoes, onions, summer squash, sweet pepper, water and black pepper
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for
4 to 4½ hours.
Taco Lentil Soup
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 white onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetarian broth
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat!)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup frozen organic corn
For topping: 1/2 cup Go Veggie Cheddar Shreds
To garnish: Diced cilantro, sliced jalapeno, tortilla
strips/chips
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4
hours 10 mins
Instructions:
Place a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add in olive
oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño; sauté for 5 minutes or until
onions begin to brown and soften. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Add in the remaining ingredients (except for the corn) to the
slow cooker: lentils, crushed tomatoes, vegetarian broth, black beans and
spices. Stir ingredients together to combine, then cover and cook for 3-4 hours
on high or 7-8 hours on low. 20 minutes before serving, stir in frozen corn.
Once soup is done, distribute into bowls (or do a meal prep)
and top each with two tablespoons of Go Veggie cheese. Garnish with extra fixing’s
such as cilantro and jalapeno. Makes 4 servings. Double the recipe for a crowd!
Salsa Verde Lentil Tacos with Mango-Pomegranate Pico
Ingredients
For the Pico:
1 mango, pitted and diced
Seeds from 1/2 of a pomegranate (about 1/2 cup)
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
For the lentils & sauce
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked green lentils
1-pound tomatillos
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeño, cut in half and seeded
3 unpeeled cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 corn tortillas (gluten free)
½ cup GO Veggie! Monterey Jack & Cheddar Shreds
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Instructions:
First make the salsa: Add mango, pomegranate, red onion,
cilantro, and lime juice to a medium bowl; stir until just combined. Cover and
place in fridge until tacos are ready to serve.
Next make the lentils: Add 1 ½ cups of water and lentils to
a medium pot and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to
low, cover and simmer for 25-35 minutes or until lentils are fork tender and
water has absorbed completely. Do NOT overcook the lentils or they will become
mushy. Once lentils are cooked, drain out excess water from pot and remove from
heat.
While lentils are cooking, make the tomatillo sauce. Remove
husks from tomatillos and rinse them under warm
water; cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined pan along with
garlic, jalapeno halves and poblano pepper. Place under the broiler for 5-8
minutes or until the skin of the tomatillos and peppers are dark golden brown
and somewhat blackened. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Once cooled enough to handle, peel the blackened skin from
poblano pepper and discard. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from their skin
and add to a blender along with the rest of the poblano pepper (stem and skin
removed), tomatillos and jalapeno halves. Add in cilantro and lime juice; blend
for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
Stir in 1 cup of tomatillo sauce into cooked lentils. Add
salt and pepper to taste. Reserve extra sauce for garnish (or you can use it as
a salsa with chips).
To assemble tacos: Add 1 tablespoon of cheese if desired in a
taco, then place about ¼ cup lentils and top with a tablespoon or two of
mango-pomegranate pico. Serves 4, 2 tacos each.
Notes:
Feel free to use 1 cup canned salsa verde or green enchilada
sauce for a quick shortcut.Recipes come from Eatingwell.com and other helpful blogs. I'm not a chef =) so I need help.
