Legumes are great sources of fat, protein and carbohydrates. Different varieties contain varying amounts of these nutrients, with beans, nuts, peas and lentils all having unique nutritional profiles. Although these foods are a staple of vegetarian diets, non-vegetarians can also benefit from eating more legumes. For example, replacing red meat with a serving of black beans lowers your fat intake while boosting your fiber and protein intakes.

Different types of legumes
Introduction

Legumes is basically a family of vegetables or plants that feature a pod with seeds inside it. These seeds are sometimes referred to as pulses or edible seeds. Legumes include peas, beans, peanuts, and lentils. The richness of legumes in vitamins and minerals is the top reason why legumes are commonly used in cooking or in making salads. Here are some of the health benefits of legumes that you need to know.

This group of plants are known as excellent source of both protein and fiber. Protein is found in every cell of our bodies. As the building block of human body, protein is needed in various body processes. This is primarily because protein is the second most abundant chemical in the body next to water. It regulates metabolism and cell division. One cup of legumes, as among top sources of protein, contains 33% of the daily recommended allowance (DRA) for women and 27% DRA for men.

Aside from protein, legumes are also rich in fiber. Fiber is essential for the body to balance the blood sugar and lower the cholesterol level in our bloodstream. It also prevents constipation.

Legumes are also abundant with vitamins and minerals, which is why they are widely used in soups, salads, and smoothies.

Beans

The most common varieties of legumes are beans. These include adzuki beans, black beans, soybeans, anasazi beans, fava beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans and lima beans. These foods are high in protein and carbohydrates but low in fat. For example, 1 cup of cooked adzuki beans contains 17.3 grams of protein, 57 grams of carbohydrates, 294 calories and only 0.2 grams of fat. In comparison, 1 cup of cooked chickpeas contains 14.5 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 269 calories and 4.3 grams of fat. Because of their assortment of flavors and textures, a mixture of lightly-seasoned, cooked-then-cooled beans makes a flavorful, nutritious and filling salad.

Nuts

Some legumes are inappropriately called “nuts.” The most common example is the peanut, with other examples including soy nuts and carob nuts. Similar to other nuts, these legumes contain high concentrations of protein, fat and carbohydrates. For example, 1 cup of dry-roasted soy nuts contains 68.1 grams of protein, 37.2 grams of fat, 56.3 grams of carbohydrates and 776 calories. One cup of dry-roasted peanuts is much lower in protein and higher in fat, with 34.6 grams of protein, 31.4 grams of carbohydrates, 854 calories and 72.5 grams of fat. When eating soy or peanuts, choose dry-roasted and unsalted varieties to avoid the high fat and sodium content of oil-roasted, salted nuts.

Peas

A number of legumes are labeled as peas, including green peas, snow peas, snap peas, split peas and black-eyed peas. Similar to beans, peas contain high concentrations of carbohydrates and protein but little fat. For example, 1 cup of boiled green peas contains 8.6 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 134 calories and 0.4 gram of fat. Split peas contain higher concentrations of protein and carbohydrates but a similar amount of fat. One cup of boiled split peas contains 16.4 grams of protein, 41.4 grams of carbohydrates, 231 calories and only 0.8 grams of fat. As most varieties have a naturally sweet flavor, peas are great as a side-dish, snack, addition to a stir-fry or topping on a salad.

Lentils

Legumes that are classified as nuts, beans and peas are approximately spherical in shape. With their flat, round shape, lentils differ from this general pattern. Whether yellow, orange, green, brown or black, the nutritional profile of lentils does not change with their color. However, sprouted lentils differ from non-sprouted lentils in their nutritional content. One cup of uncooked sprouted lentils contains 6.9 grams of protein, 17.1 grams of carbohydrates, 82 calories and 0.4 gram of fat. As they are much denser, non-sprouted lentils provide larger amounts of these nutrients. One cup of uncooked, non-sprouted lentils contains 49.5 grams of protein, 115.4 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fat and 678 calories. Although the non-sprouted variety is more common in cooked dishes, both varieties can serve as the basis for Indian dhal curries.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none” last=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_text][fusion_dropcap color=”” boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”50%” class=”” id=””]Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that occurs naturally in foods such as grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. When unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins.

Refined table sugar, also called sucrose, is very different. Extracted from either sugar cane or beets, it lacks vitamins, minerals and fiber, and thus requires extra effort from the body to digest. Instead of providing the body nutrition, it creates deficiency. It enters swiftly into the bloodstream and wreaks havoc on the blood sugar level, first pushing it sky-high—causing excitability, nervous tension and hyperactivity—and then dropping it extremely low—causing fatigue, depression, weariness and exhaustion.

Today sugar is found in many of the usual suspects, like cakes, sodas, cookies and candy. But you will also find it in canned vegetables, baby food, cereals, peanut butter, bread and tomato sauce. It is often disguised in fancy language, labeled as corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, glucose or fructose.

The new study from Europe published on April 24 in the Journal Diabetologia says that drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. These findings agree with earlier studies in the United States, which found daily soda consumption increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 25 percent.

One of the most alarming statistics in medicine right now is the rate at which people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is far more prevalent than type 1. This news is especially heartbreaking, when we know that reducing processed sugar and eating a healthy, balanced diet can prevent the condition.

It is recommended that we get no more than 10 teaspoons per day, yet most people eat about 30 teaspoons per day—that’s three times the liberal recommended daily value.

When people lose the ability to maintain a steady blood sugar level, the entire human organism is affected.
If we are on a healthy, balanced diet, nourishing ourselves with milder forms of sweet vegetables, we don’t need a big sugar hit from a candy bar or soda to boost our energy level.

Healthy food choices (such as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables), daily exercise and weight loss can help prevent Type 2 diabetes, or slow the progress of the disease in those with pre-diabetes.

Eat Well! Live Life! Enjoy!

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”0″ padding_bottom=”30″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_6″ layout=”1_6″ last=”no” spacing=”no” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=”” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text][fusion_fontawesome icon=”fa-quote-left” circle=”yes” size=”large” iconcolor=”” circlecolor=”” circlebordercolor=”” rotate=”” spin=”no” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”1″ alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”5_6″ layout=”5_6″ last=”yes” spacing=”no” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=”” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text]

It is recommended that we get no more than 10 teaspoons per day, yet most people eat about 30 teaspoons per day—that’s three times the liberal recommended daily value.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]