While beans often steal the show, their legume cousins—lentils and peas—are just as mighty when it comes to nutrition. According to a new US government healthy eating advisory report, these small but powerful foods deserve a bigger place on the plate.
Lentils and peas are rich in protein, fiber, and antioxidants, making them excellent for heart health, blood sugar balance, and even kidney protection. Just half a cup of cooked lentils offers around 12 grams of protein—a strong case for using them in place of meat. And unlike beans, they cook quickly and don’t require soaking, says a Tuesday feature in the Natural Geographic, which reviewed the US advisory report.
In many global cuisines—from Indian to Middle Eastern—legumes used to be regular kitchen staples. But it is often overlooked of late, especially in the American plate, and people eat them far less than recommended, favoring meat and poultry instead. But nutrition scientists hope to change that. They’re pushing for lentils and peas to be reclassified in national dietary guidelines—from vegetables to top-tier protein sources.
“Peas and lentils are low glycemic foods, so they don’t tend to spike blood sugar,” notes Andres Ardisson Korat, a nutrition research scientist focuses on food, nutrition and geriatric syndromes, at Tufts University, as quoted by the Natural Geographic report.