Lentils are one of the healthier legumes. Beans are filled with proteins, fibers, carbs, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
Studies show that people with a higher intake of beans have reduced their risks of heart disease drastically.
Lets find out what’s in a cup of lentils: Nutritional composition of one cup of cooked lentils provides 230 calories, 40 g carbohydrate, 18g protein, 0.8 g fat, 15 g dietary fiber, 16 IU vitamin A, 3 mg vitamin C, 2 mg niacin, 1.26mg pantothenic acid, 258 mcg folic acid, 720 mg potassium, 4 mg sodium, 258 mg phosphorus, 38 mg calcium, 6.6 mg iron, 80 mg magnesium, 3 mg zinc, and 1 mg manganese and that’s very impressive.
Lentil soup is one way to increase your intake of legumes and is good for entire family.
Heat two table spoons of oil in a skillet and sauté a small to medium onion until soft and tender . Add two fine chopped tomatoes and cook until soft along with onion. Follow with three cups of organic vegetable stock or organic chicken stock for each cup of lentils you use and let simmer until lentils are soft, approx. 1 hour. Garnish with fresh cilantro. That is a basic soup on a low-budget but also you can be creative and add other vegetables like carrots bell peppers you name it.
Tip:
Soaking lentils in water for few hours will speed up the cooking process. Using a pressure cooker will also reduce its cooking time. Simmering under a cover pot will also decrease the time of lentils being cooked.
Smart Food Solutions 