Off a diet

Non-diet nutrition & living

Pulses

Tiny seeds under the nutritional microscope! A guide on nutrition facts about pulses, health benefits, cooking and more.

Overview

Pulses are the dried, edible seeds of legume plants which are plants that their fruit-seeds are enclosed in a pod.

There are hundreds of different varieties but the most commonly known and consumed are Beans, Lentils, Faba or Broad beans, Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans, Dry peas, Cowpeas and Lupins.

For more information on the different varieties of these, pulses.org has put together a very informative visual guide.

History

Pulses have always been a humble food. Known to the world as a staple food of the financially underprivileged, they have served many years as the main protein source for poor people. Shame, really, because they have so much to offer. They have been cultivated for thousands of years, ever since 8000 – 7000 BC.

But their time for well-deserved recognition finally arrived just a few years ago. At the dawn of 2013, the 68th UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. After the great success of the FAO’s (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) campaign, the 73^rd UNGA, in December 2018, proclaimed February 10th as World Pulses Day to recognize their contribution in achieving the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Nutritional value

Pulses are literally among the most nutritionally dense foods you can choose. Have a look at their main nutritional characteristics:

High in plant-based protein
Rich in complex carbohydrates
Zero cholesterol
Rich in iron, potassium and folate
Rich in fiber
Good sources of calcium, magnesium and zinc
Low glycemic index
Rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants and phytoestrogens
Low in sodium
Naturally gluten-free
Almost fat-free
Low in calories

Nutritional highs and lows

*All information comes from the FoodData Central of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The numbers shown below correspond to 100 g. of boiled and drained pulses without added salt.

Energy: Almost all pulses are low-calorie foods. Chickpeas are at the top of the list, providing 164 kcal and fava beans are the lightest with only 110 kcal.
Fat: Most pulses have tiny amounts of fat between 0.3 and 0.6 g. Lupins with 2.92 g. and chickpeas with 2.59 g. are the exception.
Protein: All pulses are rich in plant-based protein, but lupins are at the top of the list with 15.57 g. followed by white beans with 9.73 g. Adzuki beans are the least protein-packed pulses with 7.52 g.
Dietary Fiber: White beans have the highest content in fiber with 10.4 g. and lupins have the lowest 2.8g.
Potassium: When asked about rich potassium sources, most people think of bananas, but beans are actually great sources! Lima beans have the richest content, 508 mg, which is higher than a medium banana – about 422 mg. Lupins have the lowest content in potassium, giving us about 245 mg.
Calcium: White beans get the first place at calcium content, too, with 90 mg while split peas are at the bottom of the list with only 14 mg.
Iron: Lentils come first at iron content with 3.33 mg while lupins and split peas are the lowest in iron with 1.2 mg.
Magnesium: Black beans are the richest source with 70 mg and lentils and split peas are the poorest with 36 mg.

Health benefits

With all the nutritional qualities listed above, it doesn’t come as a surprise that pulses promote health and aid with many health issues.

They help with blood sugar control because they contain complex carbohydrates and have a low glycemic index, which makes them a great food for people with diabetes.
They promote weight loss and weight management not only because they are low-fat but also because of their slow digestion which gives a feeling of satiety.
Their high fiber content and the prebiotics they contain promote gut health and can help with constipation.
As a protein source with zero cholesterol and rich in fiber, they improve heart health and help with lowering blood cholesterol.
Their content in antioxidants lowers the risk of many types of cancer.
They can also help with cognitive decline and menopausal symptoms because they are rich in phytoestrogens.
They can protect from iron-deficiency anemia, especially for people who avoid meat products.
Their calcium content promotes bone health.
They are a perfect food choice for people with celiac disease because they are naturally gluten-free.

Benefits for the environment

But it’s not just our bodies that love pulses. The earth does, too. As crops, pulses have qualities that help with the protection of the environment and promote food sustainability.

They improve the fertility of the soil through a process called nitrogen fixation, acting as natural fertilizers.
They have a small water footprint compared to other protein sources. (For instance, 1 kg of lentils has a water efficiency of 1250 litres compared to 13000 litres needed for 1 kg of beef!)
Their cultivation increases farm biodiversity and creates friendlier landscapes for animals and insects.
They are suitable crops for harsh environments because they have a high tolerance in drought or frost.
Their crop residues can also be used as animal foods.
They are affordable for farmers and consequently for consumers.
They have a long self-life, therefore a low food wastage footprint.

Pulses’ unwanted features

Even though they come with so many benefits, they also have a few not so likeable characteristics. Luckily, most of them can be easily dealt with.

Most pulses contain anti-nutrients. These are specific substances that can limit the proper absorption of important minerals like iron or zinc. Others act as enzyme-inhibitors, hindering the job of important enzymes in the body. The amount and the function of these anti-nutrients can be minimized during the soaking process.
Pulses also contain galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). They are known prebiotics which are generally beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract, but they can also cause flatulence and bloating, especially to people who have been diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). This unwanted side effect can also be diminished by soaking.
Certain types of pulses like fava beans, also known as broad beans, must not be consumed by people who are G6PD deficient. This is a genetic deficiency of the G6PD enzyme which has a very important role in various biochemical regulations in our body and also for health maintenance of our red blood cells. When a person lacks this enzyme and consumes fava beans, hemolytic anemia can occur, which is a really serious health condition. People with G6PD deficiency should be really careful with all pulses in order to avoid cross-contamination.
Most kinds of pulses generally have a long cooking time and that’s one of the reasons people tend to avoid them. Fortunately, this is one more problem that can be solved by soaking. If this still sounds time-consuming to you, you can always use canned pulses which are pre-cooked and ready for consumption. Canned pulses usually contain large amounts of salt, so if you care about your salt intake, you’d better rinse them well before using.

The soaking process

Lentils and split yellow peas are the only pulses that can be cooked successfully without soaking. Most, if not all, kinds of beans, as well as chickpeas need pre-soaking for many reasons. Let’s sum up:

It drastically reduces cooking time.
It minimizes the content of anti-nutritional factors and therefore improves the absorption of nutrients.
It lessens the effects of galacto-olligosaccharides, like bloating and excess gas production.
It softens them and makes them more easily digestible.

For most kinds of pulses, all of the above can be achieved by soaking them for 8-12 hours. You can soak them for longer if you want but bear in mind that the germination process might be initiated the longer they stay in the water.

The temperature of the water is important. Placing the pulses in lukewarm water has been shown to significantly reduce softening and cooking time.

Instead of plain tap water, some people use sodium bicarbonate solutions for soaking pulses. That’s another way to accelerate the softening process. And if you’re worried about the effect on nutrients, research has shown that the use of baking soda does not affect any of the main nutrients in pulses. However, it can make their skin really soft and they can lose their shape or get mashed up easily during cooking.

How to: Place pulses in a large bowl and cover with water almost to the rim. Adding water just to cover them won’t be enough because during the soaking process they will double in size and absorb most of the water. After 8-12 hours, depending on the type of pulses, rinse them well to get rid of the GOS that have been released in the soaking water. Proceed with the cooking instructions of your recipe.

Cooking tips

You can use a pressure cooker to boil pulses, to shorten the cooking time even further. Make sure you add enough water because they double in size during the cooking process.

Cooking times vary depending on many things, such as type, soil quality, maturity of the seeds and pre-soaking time.

Acidic ingredients and sodium can harden pulses and increase cooking time. That’s why ingredients like lemon juice or tomato paste and salt should be added at the end of the cooking process.

Food combination tips

Pulses are among the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. They can be cooked in several ways and combined with many types of foods to create delicious recipes. But if we want to reap their nutritional benefits to the fullest, there are specific food groups that we should combine them with.

Grains: Plant-based protein that comes from pulses does not contain all the essential amino acids for our bodies. It may be high in lysine but it’s really low in sulfur-containing amino acids. Grains on the other hand are the opposite. Their combination provides complete high-quality proteins. That’s why rice, wheat, cereal and grain products are pulses’ best friends.

Vitamin C sources: As mentioned already, pulses are good sources of iron. But this iron is not absorbed as easily as the heme-iron that we get from foods that are of animal origin. Therefore, we need to help iron absorption by eating foods that are rich in Vitamin C. Pulses salads with vegetables like broccoli or red peppers, hummus or bean pastes with fresh lemon juice are examples of food combinations that can boost our iron intake.

Storage

Dry pulses have a long self-life and can last for more than a year. Bear in mind, however, that the longer you keep them in your pantry, the more time you will have to soak them before cooking and the longer their cooking time will become.

Always store them in a dry and cool place away from sunlight, in their original package or an airtight container. During the summer months, when they are most vulnerable, you can also store them in the vegetable compartment of your fridge but this will also increase the soaking and cooking time.

When cooked, pulses can last for 4-5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them for 4-5 months.

Recipes

Pulses are used in many parts of the world and are the main ingredients in many famous dishes from favorite cuisines. At the links below you can find a large collection of recipes from around the globe.

http://www.fao.org/pulses-2016/recipes/en/

https://pulses.org/recipes/worlds-greatest-pulse-dishes