Red Lentils

A whole range of lentils are available,
but the orange ones are the red lentils

Ingredient

Red Lentils

Information

Lentils are a member of the legume family of foods. Uncooked they are a small hard circular legume the size of a small pea. They are orange when uncooked, and turn yellow after boiling. They need to be properly cooked before eating, and boiling or stewing is a commonly used method. After cooking they turn yellow in colour

Nutritional Information

Per 100g of cooked lentils

Nutrient	Value per 100g
Energy	116 kcal
Proteins	9
Carbohydrates	20
Sugar	2
Fats	Trace
Fibre	8
Folate	181 micrograms
Potassium	369 micrograms

Where it is usually eaten?

Lentils are great in stews and soups. They are regularly used in indian dishes, as they grow well in the subcontinent, but are also commonly added to vegetable dishes. Lentils have a fairly neutral taste, and so it is not uncommon to add soaked lentils to any other dishes, including pasta and rice, to add good quality protein and roughage.

What are it’s uses?

Lentils have excellent levels of protein, so vegetarians find them very useful as part of a varied diet. They contain all the essential amino acids, though you still need additional protein sources for a balanced diet. The carbohydrate level in good, and heavily strachy, meaning a low level of glycemic index and slow release energy.

Hidden Benefits

Lentils have many benefits, but its trump cards are its levels of fibre and folic acid. Fibre is essential for digestive transit, and at 8g per 100g of lentil, with the RDA between 18g and 30g, this is a significant contribution to your fibre intake.

Folic acid is essential for good health, with about 300 micrograms needed for the average adult daily diet. But the hidden benefit is for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The need for folilc acid in these groups is double the average, and regularly supplements are taken. Lentils are a natural source, with 181 micrograms per 100g of lentils when cooked, they are a great source of this essential vitamin.

Pros

·         Good carbohydrate levels

·         Low in sugar

·         High in protein

·         High in fibre

·         Excellent folic acid levels and low levels of vitamin D.

Cons

·         Low levels of methionine, an essential amino acid needed to use other amino acids

·         Low fat levels for those looking for a rounded diet

·         Shorter cooking times than other lentils, but less nutritional content.

Summary

Red lentils are an excellent source of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. They are great with many types of food, particularly soups and stews. They are great for pregnant women as they have no vitamin D, and lots of folic acid. An all round great source of nutrients, but make sure your protein intake is vaired beyond legumes.

Scoring

Carbs 4/5 – high starches, low sugars

Fats 4/5 – no fats here, so great, unless your looking for them

Proteins 3.5/5 – high levels of protein but be careful about the methionine

Vitamins 4.5/5 – great levels of folic acid and other B vitamins

Minerals – 4/5 – zero sodium and high amounts of potassium

Fibre – 5/5 – great levels of fibre for a healthy diet

Water 5/5 – as a cooked ingredient they are saturated with water, so a great way to take in extra fluid

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