What is useful lentils

Lentils are a small, flat seed of an annual plant in the legume family. In Russia, this culture appeared in the XIV century and quickly became popular among peasants and ordinary working people.

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It was even called “the queen-lentils” and made of her soup, porridge, filling for pies. But then, for some reason, an incredibly valuable product was forgotten. I think it's time to bring lentils back to our tables.





Today's edition. "Site" will tell about the beneficial properties of the queen of legumes, and also tell how to cook it, so that it turns out not only nutritious, but also delicious dish.

Nutritionists consider lentils a protein superfood, which must be in every kitchen, so it makes sense to dwell on its useful properties in more detail.

1. Lentils are rich in fiber and protein, so vegetarians often replace meat with it, and meat eaters use it as a side dish or main dish.
   
   
   
   Legume culture is very easily absorbed by the body due to the lack of fat components accompanying meat protein, which is useful for people with digestive problems.
   
   
2. Lentils have a lot of amino acids, minerals and vitamins that help remove toxic and harmful substances from the body. In addition, it practically does not accumulate radionuclides and nitrates, so it can be safely called an environmentally friendly product.
   
   
3. Lentils are the record holder for folic acid content. Vitamin B9 helps turn harmful amino acids into useful ones, supports the health of the nervous system, helps speed up metabolism and is necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells.
   
   
   
4. Lentils contain insoluble fiber, which helps prevent digestive problems, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis.
5. Use of lentils replenishes iron reserves in the body, so the product is especially useful for pregnant women and when breastfeeding. Unlike another iron-rich product – red meat – lentils contain almost no fat.
   
   
   
6. The composition of lentils includes tryptophan - an amino acid that in the body turns into serotonin, the lack of which is fraught with depression and anxiety.
7. Canadian experts from the University of Guelph recommend including lentil grains in the diet of hypertensive and diabetics.

Unlike other useful products, lentils are also delicious. And these important tips will not let her boil or stay too tough.

1. The lentils first need to get rid of debris and wash well under running water. And then either soak or cook. It all depends on the color. Green soak for 1-2 hours, brown for 40-60 minutes, and red and yellow can not be soaked at all.
   
   
   
   
   
2. When cooking, the liquid should be twice as much as the beans. That is, for 1 glass of lentils you need to take 2 glasses of cold water.
3. First boil legumes on a medium heat, and after boiling water - on a slow one. There is no need to cover the pan with a lid. But the foam is worth taking off.
4. Salt lentils should be at the end of cooking. If you add salt at the beginning, you will have to cook longer.
5. Green lentils are cooked for 40 minutes, brown for 30, and red for 10-15 minutes.
6. Taste of lentils You can diversify your favorite spices, greens or vegetables. Legumes are perfectly complemented by roasting from onions and carrots, in which you can add tomatoes, garlic and Bulgarian pepper.
   
   
   

If you have not tried lentils yet, immediately correct the situation! And your menu will be replenished with a variety of delicious and very useful dishes!

Lentils contain almost no fat, but it contains proteins and carbohydrates that provide a long feeling of satiety. It is gaining popularity among people leading a healthy lifestyle, and entered our list of the 10 most underrated foods.

It often happens that you need to reduce consumption or even eliminate meat products from the diet. Editorial "Site" shares a recipe for a very fragrant sausage made of lentils, which contains all the substances necessary for the body.

To pearl porridge there was a rather ambiguous attitude. Someone likes it, and someone does not tolerate it. Meanwhile, it is one of the few cereals that combine a very democratic price and a long list of valuable properties.