Health legumes are right protein powerhouses

Pulses are powerhouses: protein content is outstanding
Lentil soup or Erbspüree were frowned upon as poor people eating for a long time. But that is now past. An ever-growing product range, new formulations and sophisticated recipes have paved the way for lentils, peas and all other legumes in households and restaurants. The health values ​​of legumes have often played their part in opening the door.

The more or less small seed seeds ripened in a pod are real powerhouses. They provide the body with plenty of carbohydrates, valuable ballast and minerals, as well as vitamins, especially B vitamins. Outstanding, however, is the protein content of the legumes: when dried, the protein content is between 20 and 35 percent. In ready-to-eat beans, peas and lentils, it is still five to ten percent. This makes them particularly important for vegetarians to important building blocks in the daily diet. Although the protein requirement can not be covered exclusively by legumes, as these do not contain all the essential amino acids. But in combination with, for example, cereals, this small disadvantage can be easily remedied.

Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and white beans contain a lot of iron and are therefore a good alternative to meat. (Image: emuck / fotolia.com)

Soybean takes on a special role in several ways: with a protein content of almost 40 percent in the dried state, it is the clear leader among the legumes. At the same time, unlike all of its relatives, it also provides a substantial amount of fat, namely a fat content of 20 percent. Its composition is particularly favorable with a high proportion of omega-3 fatty acids and other polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fat, however, is also noticeable in the calorie content. At around 70 kilocalories per 100 grams, it is about twice as high as for the other legumes.

In China, soybean was cultivated as early as 2,800 bc. However, it was not until the 17th and 18th centuries that the heat-loving plant reached Indonesia, India and North Africa via Europe and America. There, about three quarters of all soybeans are produced. Eva Neumann, aid