Proteins and Fiber Why legumes are very healthy

Legumes can score with proteins and fiber
Legumes have a lot to offer, according to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE). Especially the classic representatives of lentils, beans and peas are particularly nutritious. Therefore, the DGE recommends to integrate legumes more frequently in the diet.

In June and July, local farmers offer fresh peas, broad beans or mangetout on the market, and bush beans are still fresh until late September. But legumes in dried form are a valuable food enrichment. These can be prepared in many ways and are well suited for stockpiling, according to the DGE. With their high percentage of protein they are also a good meat alternative. By the contained fiber a long lasting saturation is reached.

Legumes, with their high vitamin and mineral content, are a healthy nutritional enrichment. (Image: Lukas Gojda / fotolia.com)

Versatile uses of legumes
In the current release, the DGE also has some tips for preparing the legumes. Their variety invites you to "try it out and let us travel around the world in a culinary way". For example, white beans are an asset as an ingredient of the Italian minestrone, kidney beans come in Tex-Mex dishes like Chili con Carne or as "sin" Carne, and Black beans belong in a Brazilian feijoada, reports the DGE. In this country, the pea stew is known as a traditional dish, as is the lentil soup. However, lentils are also suitable as an ingredient in lettuce and get a completely new taste in oriental dishes, according to the DGE.

Contains many vitamins and minerals
Another form of legume is chickpeas, which are becoming increasingly popular as an ingredient in hummus, falafel or curry dishes. The DGE explains in the new flyer "Legumes - discovering hidden diversity" which ingredients are contained in dried legumes, how they are prepared and how they can be used in many ways in the kitchen. According to the DGE, legumes can score with valuable ingredients such as vitamins B1, B6, folate and the minerals iron, magnesium and zinc. In addition, they contain phytochemicals that have beneficial effects on health.

Beware of gout
Legumes also have indigestible carbohydrates, which allow the blood sugar concentration to rise only slowly, explains the DGE. Thus, "dried lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas are low in fat and have a low energy density, i. H. they deliver only a few calories in relation to the quantity. "However, soybeans and peanuts are an exception with their higher fat content. In addition, patients with gout must be aware that legumes generally have a high content of purines.

Year of legumes
In terms of sustainability, legumes also offer some advantages, according to the DGE. So the plants bind the required nitrogen from the air during the growth and it must therefore be less fertilized. The cultivation of legumes also increases soil fertility and supports humus formation. For these reasons as well, the United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Legumes.

Do not eat raw!
The DGE notes in its recent press release that legumes should not be eaten raw. Because they contain natural toxins that in humans - if they are consumed raw - can cause intolerance to poisoning symptoms. In raw beans, soybeans, chickpeas and lentils, for example, contain toxic lectins that can lead to a clumping of the red blood cells, warns the DGE. Cooking destroys these lectins. Therefore, when legumes are boiled before consumption, there is no danger. For sprouts made from soybean or mung beans, a heating is also recommended, since these raw can be burdened with pathogenic germs, reports the DGE. (Fp)