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What can I eat?

By Marcia White.

Harvard Medical School recommend beans, lentils, pulses and legumes. They provide a good supply of vitamins and minerals plus other healthy nutrients, they lower blood sugars, they lower the “bad” or harmful cholesterol and triglcerides (the most abundant fat carrying particle in the blood stream).   They also slightly lower blood pressure. They are linked to reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon and other cancers.

Thanks to the University of Michigan who have defined:

“What are Legumes?”

“Beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts are collectively known as legumes, which are plants that have pods with tidy rows of seeds inside. The seeds are the fruit of the plants and are removed from the pod then dried for human and animal consumption. There are many types of legumes used throughout the world in different cuisines. Various foods in this category are metabolized differently and provide different essential nutrients. Because of these variations, common legumes such as peanuts, sugar snap peas, and soybeans are highlighted in other categories as follows:

• Peanuts are usually consumed in ways similar to tree nuts and grow underground. They contain more fat and fewer carbohydrates than other legumes.
• Sugar snap peas are commonly consumed as a vegetable; however, they contain more starch than other vegetables and less protein than other legumes. Therefore, they are highlighted in the starchy vegetable section.
• Soybeans are a legume unique for their high isoflavone and essential amino content. They are also used to make a wide variety of foods unlike other beans in this category.”

Selected Sources of Legumes

Recipes for homemade soups, stews, and of course hummus, can be found here http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/pulse

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