2016 is the year of beans: how to take advantage of legumes

The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) declared 2016 as the year of legumes🇧🇷 The aim of the campaign is to draw people’s attention to the large amount of protein in this type of food and also for the benefits they bring to health and the environment.

But what are legumes anyway? Beans, a classic member of the Brazilian dish, are an example of this giant family. Legumes are commonly known because their fruits are pod-shaped. In addition to beans (with all their types: carioquinha, azuki, black, red, green, ball etc), peas, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, peanuts, lupine and fava beans are also leguminous.

Legumes have twice as much protein as wheat and three times as much as rice. When compared to meat, the amount of protein present in 100g of steak is equivalent to a ladle of beans or seven tbsp.

In addition, they are rich in micronutrients, amino acids, B vitamins, iron, zinc and fiber, are gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and have a low glycemic index.

According to the FAO, the consumption of proteins from legumes is a excellent alternative to the production of meat and dairy productsas it is much cheaper and more sustainable.

The production of a kilo of lentils, for example, consumes 50 liters of water, while a kilo of red meat consumes 13,000 liters of water. Legumes have the ability to fix nitrogen, which improves soil fertility and land productivity. Some varieties of peas and beans can also be grown in poor soils and semi-arid environments, becoming alternatives for places most in need of food.

Read also: But after all, what is the meat we consume?

One of the commonplaces we hear about vegetarianism is the substitution of meat for PTS, textured soy protein. You may have already seen those PTS packets in different sizes on the market that are used in many dishes such as soy stroganoff, hamburger, minced meat.

Well, know that when it comes to quality protein PTS is very poor nutritionally🇧🇷 PTS is what’s left over from soy after it’s been used for countless other purposes. It is almost a residue of the grain that most of the time is transgenic.

Nutriologist Eric Slywitch explains that when it comes to protein, the meat substitute is legumes. Cheese and milk are high in fat and soy is nutritionally poor, so abuse beans.

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Now an important detail: the grains need to be soaked before being cooked. The ideal is 12 hours, that is, if you are going to use it in one day, leave it in the fridge to soak in water the night before. When preparing, discard the sauce water and cook in another. This will reduce the amount of phytate in the grain and improve iron absorption, as well as reducing that bloated feeling that sometimes appears.

If you liked it, enjoy that we have many delicious recipes with legumes🇧🇷 The possibilities in the culinary world are huge and your menu will hardly be repetitive:

11 delicious recipes to make with chickpeas

black bean salad

green beans au gratin

pea pie

Yam, vegetable and pea soup

Lentils with vegetables and smoked ricotta