Legumes, dried vegetables: list, benefits, storage, preparation

Even though they are part of our culinary heritage, beans, chickpeas and lentils are still too often forgotten on our menus. Their nutritional qualities are however recognized. In January 2017, they took an important step in their rehabilitation process: ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) included them in its new dietary recommendations (source 1) .

Legumes, often called “  pulses  ”, refer to “ plants whose edible fruits are contained in pods  ”, writes the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty (source 2). There is an immense diversity of legumes grown and consumed around the world.

We can distinguish two types of legumes, indicates the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty:

• Forage legumes are used in the diet of herbivores (grazing, hay, silage). We find in this group: alfalfa, sainfoin, lupine, trefoil, clovers and vetch;
• Seed legumes are edible by humans: soybeans, fava beans, lentils (brown, green, Puy green, coral, etc.) , broad beans, beans (black, red, white, mung, azuki, etc.) , peas and chickpeas.

The benefits of legumes are numerous.

Present in the form of starch and combined with fiber and protein, these carbohydrates provide valuable fuel to the brain and muscles . Their glycemic index (GI) is in fact low, below 50: with them, no sudden rise in blood sugar, therefore no rush, cravings or storage.

Unlike many cereal products, lentils, peas, dried beans – and products made from them (flour, etc.) – can be consumed by celiac patients and non-celiac gluten intolerances.

Their secret sauce? Their incredible richness in fiber: from 4.5 to 16.5 g per 100 g (cooked weight). “Consuming it regularly allows you to reach the recommended daily intake, set at 25 g,” underlines Dr. Chicheportiche-Ayache. A true health ally, fiber reduces the absorption of fats and cholesterol, slows down the assimilation of carbohydrates and prevents the stagnation of unwanted elements in the intestines.

Their fibers increase the volume of stools in cases of constipation, and capture water in the digestive tract in cases of diarrhea.

100 g of cooked legumes provide 5.6 to 10 g of protein, which is equivalent to 50 g of meat or fish! Putting it on the menu thus makes it possible to reduce or even replace animal products, particularly red meat, the consumption of which is recommended to be reduced. “Be careful, however: their proteins are incomplete , that is to say they do not contain all the amino acids essential to the body,” warns Corinne Chicheportiche-Ayache. “To benefit from a complete and quality protein intake, they must be combined with cereals (quinoa, bulgur, semolina, rice, etc.)”.

We thus find, at varying levels depending on the  dried vegetables, group B vitamins, magnesium, iron (even if it is much less well assimilated than that of animal origin), calcium, potassium and iron. zinc.

Dried vegetables are a way to save money while eating correctly . For example, 500g of split peas, chickpeas or lentils costs less than €2, a stable price all year round.

In winter, when fresh vegetables are rare and expensive, they brighten up soups. They can replace potatoes, and added to vegetables (leeks, cabbage, carrots), enrich a soup.

They are also durable and easily storable foods . Some dormant seeds wake up when rehydrated. They do not risk rotting or losing their nutritional qualities and do not produce any waste: one kilo purchased = one kilo to eat.

In sachet or in bulk , it doesn’t matter. But it is better to take them from French and organic production , because they are among the particularly processed foods: 38.2% of samples analyzed by the DGCCRF in 2014 contained pesticide residues, lentils almost twice as much as peas and beans. dry.

“ Canned foods in jars are also a good emergency solution ,” says Amandine Geers. “They save time on a relatively long preparation time. » In this case, it is better to rinse them before consuming them to eliminate some of the salt.

“Good preparation allows both to improve the digestibility of fiber, to enrich proteins with missing amino acids and to reduce antinutritional agents which prevent the assimilation of part of the nutrients,” explains Dr. Cotinat. , which recommends soaking legumes overnight (or, better, germinating them for 3 to 4 days in jars), then discarding the water before cooking them (45 minutes at least) in bicarbonated water.

The soaking time, which varies depending on the dried vegetables, is generally indicated on the packaging. Some, like chickpeas or beans, require soaking overnight and cooking for between 1 hour and 3 hours. Lentils and split peas escape soaking and cook quickly, in 15 to 20 minutes. If we are in a hurry, we think of canned goods , which we rinse before consuming.

Cassoulet, lentil savory, chili, baked beans… Legumes are especially suitable for savory dishes . These main courses will be lighter if the fish or meat intake is marginal, while still constituting a complete dish. But dried vegetables also go very well in salads or desserts in the form of sweet paste. They can also be used as new sauces for gratins or vegetable lasagnas.

• Split pea soufflé (315 kcal/person), a recipe rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant, which limits the effects of stress on immunity.
• Cream of split pea soup and edam chips (291 kcal/person), a recipe rich in vitamin B1, magnesium and zinc, useful for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
• Minestrone zucchini and red beans (264 kcal/person), a vegetarian recipe based on zucchini which counters acid reflux in cases of GERD.
• White bean and small vegetable salad (250 kcal/person), a recipe rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Chickpea soup with sesame and thyme (264 kcal/person), a recipe rich in probiotics, good for the intestinal system which plays a role in immunity.