The Ultimate Guide to Legume Consumption: How Many Times a Week Should You Eat Legumes?
Have you ever wondered how many times a week you should eat legumes? What are the best combinations to increase the benefits of this precious food? What is the ideal amount to eat? There are so many doubts that we have every day about legumes and to which many of us cannot give an answer. Highly recommended by nutritionists as a vegetable protein source, they are the best alternative to meat. Let’s discover together how to use them in an original way in the kitchen and above all how many times to eat them a week.
According to nutritionists, they can eat legumes two or three times a week. The ideal is to alternate the consumption of dried legumes and fresh ones. The real building blocks of vegetable proteins are beans, dried peas, chickpeas, and lentils, as they have a greater quantity of essential amino acids. Frozen legumes have less protein and more water, while jarred legumes often have a higher quantity of salt.
The advice of experts is to alternate the varieties of legumes as much as possible, without focusing on a single type and eating it once a week out of habit. It is also important to experiment with new types at the table, less known than others, such as grass peas or lupins.
When you think about the legumes, soups and pasta are usually imagined. In reality, you can also consume vegetables by drinking a glass of soy for breakfast or eating chickpea hummus for lunch. There is also legume pasta which is a great protein source, but it is always important to eat it together with cereals (oats, rice, or bread).
As for the ideal portion of legumes to eat in a week, whether they are fresh or frozen, amounts to 150 grams. While for dried vegetables, the portion amounts to 30 to 50 grams. In the case of flour derived from legumes, the portion is 50 grams.
In the vegetarian diet, the recommended weekly consumption of legumes is three times a week. However, in the case of the vegan diet, since there is no protein intake through eggs or cheese, legumes can also be eaten four times a week. Obviously, those who are intolerant to histamine, which is present in massive quantities in legumes, cannot eat lentils, chickpeas, beans, lupins, or grass peas.
A little trick to avoid swelling and aerophagia caused by legumes is to use a small piece of salary combo soaking the legumes together with a little bicarbonate for about 12 hours. You can also use kombu seaweed during cooking (in this case it is placed in the pan and removed before draining).
If you can’t digest legumes and want to avoid annoying side effects, you can prefer them hulled red lentil. So, the next time you’re planning your meals for the week, consider adding a variety of legumes to your diet for a healthy and protein-packed lifestyle.