I am not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I have been exposed to some amazing cuisine of those diets through many friends and restaurants in LA. I get the arguments from advocates of these diets from a conservational and healthy standpoint. The part that I don’t think is stressed quite often enough though is that it’s CHEAP! In all honesty, that’s why I have become at least a “part-time vegan.” As long as you’re willing to be a little adventurous and get to know your spices and seasonings, there’s a lot you can do. As a man who likes to pick up and put down heavy things a lot, though, the main concern is: What about the protein, bro? There are a good bit of options, but my best overall pick is lentil beans.
A cup of lentil beans provides 18 grams of protein. It’s the highest choice of protein amongst the other beans. There are health benefits a-plenty, too. That song we all learned about beans as kids really is true: they are really good for your heart…and the more you eat them, the more…well, no comment. Seriously though, the amount of soluble fiber in lentils will help keep your cholesterol low and your arteries clean, which lowers your chance of stroke and heart disease. The amount of folate and magnesium in them will help that heart out a bunch, too. It also helps keep your blood sugar low because it’s a slow burning energy source, which also makes it great for endurance athletes or anyone having a loooong day. It also helps in preventing constipation….not exactly surprised by that either.
Oh, and did I mention that lentils are cheap? You can usually find it in the bulk section of your grocery store for under $2 per pound.
The criticism amongst advocates of other diets, in particular the paleo people, is that beans in general contain enzyme inhibitors (aka toxins) that may interfere with digestion. However, soaking the lentils for a day prior to cooking will remove nearly all of that problem. Cooking is simple: boil them on low heat for about 30 minutes or so. As I said before, get creative with the seasoning. I treat them a lot like ground beef and season them similarly as if they were being used in tacos and stews. My go-to pre-workout favorite with this one, though, is topping a whole bunch of them over a cooked sweet potato with some garlic chili sauce and a dollop of hummus. GAINZ, SON!
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alphacentauri
LMAO!!!!!!!! This guy and other Americans are now just discovering Lentils when people who are Italian/Mediterranean, or even Indian/Pakistani have known about them forever.
bicurious
A couple of my friends are on a paleo diet which they complain gets them rather gummed up. They had been taking psyllium husk on Fridays so that they would be clean for the weekend but the psyllium is so hard core they were having other issues that don’t need to be mentioned.
It took some convincing but I finally got them to switch to making a lentil stew that they eat on Friday through the weekend. They have been loving the results and by inference so are their sexual partners.
I’m not having sex with either of them so frankly I don’t care if they are gummed up or not but I care about them and their health so I’m hoping to get them off of that ridiculous paleo diet on onto something more well rounded and healthier. My hope is the lentil stew is the first baby step toward that.
CivicMinded
Another protein rich source is quinoa. I love to combine it with lentils. Just be sure to rinse it twice before cooking to get rid of the bitter taste.
Creamsicle
Lentils are my free ticket onto the fart train. I enjoy them, but the accompanying extra gas is a bit probelmatic for me.
onthemark
Aren’t lentils, and all legumes, supposed to be eaten with a grain such as rice? This doubles the amino acid punch: unlocks amino acids that wouldn’t be as effective alone. All cultures seem to sense this (even Americans with our peanut butter sandwiches). Or else, lentils just TASTE better with rice….. plus it cuts down on the gas effects!
Bauhaus
@Creamsicle:
@onthemark:
As far as gas, soaking helps. As a vegetarian, beans are a staple in my diet. Soak them overnight, before cooking. Cuts way down on cooking time and helps with the flatulence issue. As your body acclimates to high fiber, gas lessens.
sms1777
@alphacentauri: Sorry to burst your bubble of food superiority, but lentils aren’t some newfangled discovery like ras el hanout or freekeh. They can usually be found even in rural grocery stores. They’re just not as commonly used as New World bean varieties.