Lentil Health Benefits, Nutrition and Vegetable Facts

Health Benefits of Eating Lentils

• Lentil and weight loss have been closely related as the food contains very low calories, cholesterol and fats. It is good for slimmers with calorie concern in their weight loss efforts.
   
• Scientific reports show that lentils are good for the heart as they are rich in dietary fiber. With some assistance from folate and magnesium in the legume, your heart is even further protected.
   
• Raw lentils contain a good amount of antioxidants, with ORAC value of 7,282 µ mol TE/100g. Antioxidants in lentils function as free radical scavengers, which help protect your body against cancer.
   
• Besides, high fiber found in legumes like lentils is also an advantage for diabetes patients as it helps regulate blood sugar by controlling energy release from carbohydrates.
   
• Not only they are low in cholesterol, fiber in lentils also helps lower the cholesterol in our body to prevent stroke and cardiovascular diseases.
   
• The vegetable is a great source of protein. Protein is a key component of all organs, tissues and muscles. It is essential to the process of our body, like for example, digestion, metabolism and transportation of oxygen and nutrients.
   
• Lentils are loaded with B vitamins, especially vitamin B1, B3 and folate. These vitamins are very important to proper function of digestive, nervous and immune systems.
   
• For vegetarians, lentils are an important source of iron as they are unable to obtain the nutrient from meat source.
   
• Other notable minerals found in lentils include magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. 

Facts about Lentils

Lentils (scientific name Lens culinaris) are one of the varieties of legumes, related to peanuts and beans, and look similar to dried split peas. Botanists think they are native to the Near East. Like beans, lentils are rich in protein, containing around 26%. As a matter of fact, they are the most protein-rich legumes after soybeans.

There are quite a number of varieties of lentils in an array of colors. Most people could be familiar with the green and tan colored versions, but they are also found in colors like orange, red, black or golden. There is not much difference among them when it comes to flavor, although green lentils are relatively more nutritious compared to other types as they generally contain higher dietary fiber.

Lentils are used in many recipes worldwide. They are a delicious add-on to stew or soup, and they are one of the key ingredients in Indian cooking such as dal. Middle Easterners add them into a large number of different dishes, such as Mejadra, which is lentils and rice. Both these ingredients are usually put together in dishes as they have almost the same length of cooking. 

Lentil Nutrition Facts and Calories
 

Lentil Recipe

• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 600 g lentils
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 liters chicken stock
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• Salt and pepper 

Preparation:

• In a pot, heat the olive oil. Fry the lentils, garlic, onions and potatoes until the onions are cooked but not browned. Add the cumin and stock, allow to simmer for 35-40 minutes.

• As the mixture is cooked, use a hand blender to blend. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Lentil Side Effects

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