A legume is the fruit of leguminous plants that develop inside a pod like a seed and belongs to the large group of leguminous plants (family Fabaceae). The great variety of pulses offers valuable nutrients for our organism.
On the occasion of World Legume Day, we will talk about their properties, benefits and recommend a recipe to incorporate into our diet.
Benefits for weight loss
All legumes, even the most like soybeans and peanuts, are very useful for weight loss.
On the one hand, thanks to its fiber and vegetable protein content satiate more easily and, thus, help to eat less. Contrary to cereals, they have less carbohydrates, more fiber and proteins.
In addition, they have a very low caloric density, since during cooking they absorb a large amount of water, which increases their volume considerably. Due to their nutrients, they benefit the intestinal flora.
It should be noted that legumes have great versatility and are very accessible, which helps in our attempts to lose weight.
Properties of legumes
The different types of legumes and their properties:
- Lentils (source of iron): they are recommended in case of anemia, since 100 g of lentils provide 85% of the iron we need per day. Red lentils are recommended because they are the most digestive.
- Chickpeas (against cholesterol): the fatty acids in chickpeas reduce the rate of cholesterol in the blood and provide magnesium. Due to their high soluble fiber content, they improve intestinal transit and colon problems.
- Beans (very energetic): white beans are one of the most complete legumes. They contain minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron, being of great help for arthritis.
- Azukis (the most digestive): small red beans of rounded shape consumed in the East for centuries. They are considered to strengthen and tone the kidneys, thus preventing gallstones or kidney stones and contributing to their dissolution.
- Soy (protein and antioxidant): very rich in protein, tocopherols, vitamin B, calcium, phosphorus and iron. Its consumption helps to reduce cardiovascular diseases.
Recipe: How to make yellow lentils with cuttlefish and vegetables
The recipe I recommend is as follows:
Ingredients
For 4 persons
- 375 g yellow lentils
- 1 clove of garlic
- 0.5 onion
- 0.5 green bell pepper
- 0.5 red bell pepper
- 1 cuttlefish
- Half teaspoon of sweet paprika
- 1 l vegetable broth
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Difficulty: Medium
- Total time 1 h 10 m
- Preparation 10 m
- Cooking 1 h
- Resting 5 m
We start preparing the sofrito with the vegetables. Peel the garlic and cut it. Peel the onion, wash the peppers and cut them into equal pieces, of small size. We put virgin olive oil in the base of the casserole and heat it. Then fry the garlic, making sure it does not brown. Add the onion and the peppers, fry everything over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and drain the cuttlefish well. Cut it into cubes and dry them. Add the cuttlefish cubes to the sauce, stir over medium-high heat for five minutes and season.
Then add the vegetable broth and the lentils. Stir and add salt if necessary. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Finally, put the casserole in the oven, pre-heated to 190ºC, and cook for 20 minutes. To finish, we let it rest for five more minutes before serving on the plate.