A Daily Dose of Beans, Lentils, and Chickpeas for Weight Loss

People tend to associate beans, lentils, and chickpeas as either sides or ingredients in salad. Chickpeas have their place as the main ingredient in hummus, whose popularity has steadily increased.

Most of us, however, and I am thinking of omnivores in particular, probably do not go out of our way to eat beans, lentils, and chickpeas, which are popularly associated with vegetarians. As the base for soups, stews, burger patties, and other dishes, such foods may be fine for people who don’t eat meat and fish. But why would you go out of your way to eat them yourself?

In a previous blog post, I have written about the fantastic new developments in vegetarian-style food products, which are worth anyone’s time and palate. Today’s vegetarian food is just as good for urban millennials and boot camp enthusiasts, and not just for your 60s and 70s-styled hippie. In our food truck and catering menus, Jerry’s Kitchen provides great evidence that today’s vegetarian cuisine is equal to any other.

Without listing the entirety of the positive health benefits of beans, lentils and chickpeas, here are a few obvious ones:

1. They are an inexpensive source of protein.
2. They are chock full of carbs, fibers, and nutrients, including anti-oxidants.
3. They also chock full of such vitamins and minerals as copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
4. Chickpeas have additional beneficial fiber content.
5. Pulses may also help lower bad cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease too. (“Pulses,” like beans, lentils, and chickpeas, are a type of legume, defined as seeds that grow within pods.)
6. Recent studies have shown that eating a modest quantity of beans, lentils, and chickpeas daily (less than a cup), can help with weight loss. Such loss can happen without significant changes to other parts of your diet—except to add in pulses.

Why? Pulses tend to break down more slowly in the digestive process than many other foods. People who consume pulses tend to feel fuller, which leads to a reduction in further food intake, both during meals and afterwards. For weight loss efforts, this is vital because most such efforts fail due to dieters’ hunger and food cravings.

So, even if you are not a vegetarian, consider making beans, lentils, and chickpeas a new staple of your diet. A great way to experience them are with Jerry’s Kitchen, offering food truck and catering services in Malvern, Doylestown, and across the greater Philadelphia region.

Source

Science Daily
Health New Report
Web MD