What are legumes exactly?

1. In the new Wheel of Five, the Nutrition Center recommends putting legumes on your menu every week. But does all of them fall into the â € legumesâ € ™ category? And why are they so healthy?

1. Pods are fruits that consist of a carrot on the outside and one or more seeds on the inside. They belong to the legume family. Only the seeds of some pods are edible (such as chickpeas, peas and lentils), some can be eaten with pods (string beans, snow peas). Other edible legumes, according to botany, include brown, white and black beans, capuchins, borlotti, lima beans, kidney beans, soy beans, string beans, snow peas, broad beans, green beans, sugar snaps and peanuts. Yet not all these beans fall within the category of legumes that the Nutrition Center is referring to.

Vegetables and nuts

1. Although the green legumes, such as green beans, broad beans, string beans, peas and snow peas, are botanically legumes, the Nutrition Center counts them as vegetables. After all, we usually eat these beans as a vegetable. Like other types of vegetables, they are of course healthy. Peanuts are actually legumes, but are more like nuts in terms of nutrients and the way we use them. They are therefore in the Wheel of Five in the same box as notes.

Which legumes to eat every week?

1. With the legumes you should eat every week, the Nutrition Center means: brown, white and black beans Capuchins plover beans (borlotti) lima beans lentils chickpeas kidney beans soybeans (edamame)

Protein, iron and fiber

1. These beans, lentils and chickpeas are packed with fiber, protein, iron, vitamin B1 and other important nutrients. They contain almost the same nutrients as meat, only vitamin B12 is missing. If you regularly eat dairy and eggs, you can safely eat legumes as a vegetarian alternative to meat. You get the required vitamin B12 from dairy and / or eggs. Take 75 grams of legumes instead of a portion of 100 grams of meat. Legumes also lower LDL cholesterol. Eating legumes regularly therefore helps keep your blood vessels healthy. One drawback: they also promote flatulence.

Pot, tin or dried?

1. You can eat canned, jar or dried legumes. It makes no difference to your health which one you choose. The variants in tins or glass are ready quickly, you just need to heat them up. Dried legumes have to cook for a long time, exactly how long depends on the variety. You can shorten the cooking time by first soaking them overnight. A With canned vegetables, make sure that not too much salt has been added. If it contains more than 200 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams, it is better to leave them. Rinse canned vegetables in a colander under running water to remove as much salt as possible.