\n<\/p>\n
Worried about rising food prices, your diet\u2019s carbon footprint or whether you\u2019re eating healthily enough? Believe it or not, there could be a magic bullet: pulses.<\/p>\n
According to a study by the University of Reading, published in the European Journal of Nutrition in March, adults who eat more pulses \u2013 dried beans, peas and lentils \u2013 have a higher intake of nutrients including fibre, folate and vitamins C and E; minerals such as iron, zinc and magnesium; and a lower intake of saturated fat and sugar. Similar results have been found in American, Australian and Canadian research.<\/p>\n
The UK study also found that eating pulses was associated with a more sustainable diet. In her book, Pulse: Modern Recipes with Beans, Peas & Lentils, Eleanor Maidment explains that growing pulses has a positive effect on the environment. \u201cMany are \u2018nitrogen fixers\u2019, meaning they have the ability to convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into a form that can be used in the soil, making it more fertile for other crops,\u201d she writes. Justine Butler, the head of research at Viva!, says: \u201cThe lowest-impact beef still creates six times the greenhouse gases and uses 36 times more land per gram of protein than peas.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/span>Broad beans, fresh from the pod. <\/span> Photograph: Kjerstin Gjengedal\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Pulses are filling and good value but, say the Reading researchers, the typical British adult eats only about 15g a day, with the average household spending just \u00a31.68 on pulses a week. UK guidelines state that 80g of pulses (about a third of a tin) counts as one of your five a day.<\/p>\n The University of Reading study is part of the Raising the Pulse project, which aims to increase pulse consumption to improve public and planetary health. One of its strategies is adding fava bean (dried broad bean) flour to white bread \u2013 similar to a successful programme in Denmark using rye flour to increase wholegrain consumption. Prof Julie Lovegrove, the director of the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, says: \u201cThese foods are not only nutritious but also incredibly versatile, affordable and sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n If you want to start eating more pulses, here are 15 things you need to know.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to cook pulses for hours. <\/strong>\u201cDon\u2019t be put off by the idea that you have to soak dried pulses in advance,\u201d says Maidment. \u201cI am rarely organised enough to do so, but thankfully there\u2019s a huge range of jarred and canned varieties that require no prep and are hugely convenient. If you can afford to spend a bit more, then jarred varieties have the edge over canned in terms of flavour and texture. Brands such as Bold Bean Co, Brindisa or Belazu are consistently excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n But batch-cooking dried pulses is the best value. <\/strong>Jenny Chandler, the author of Super Pulses and Pulse, soaks and cooks a big pot of pulses once a week. \u201cYou will finish up with well over double their volume \u2013 it\u2019s a really economical way to have a ready supply. They will keep in their cooking water for five days in the fridge and you can freeze any leftovers. Use them in salads, soups, purees, curries, stews and even puddings \u2013 they will become the bedrock of your cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>Dal tadka, a north Indian delicacy. <\/span> Photograph: jayk7\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Pulses are for everyone. <\/strong>\u201cYou do not have to be vegetarian or vegan to enjoy pulses \u2013 far from it,\u201d says Maidment. \u201cWe should all<\/em> be eating more pulses. For instance, in a traybake, I\u2019ll use one chicken thigh per person instead of two, and add a can of chickpeas or butter beans. I often add a can of lentils to bolognese. You\u2019re still getting filling protein, but with the added benefits of gut-friendly fibre and numerous other minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>A veggie burger made from black beans, sweet potato and brown rice.<\/span> Photograph: LindasPhotography\/Getty Images<\/p>\n They make meals go much further. <\/strong>\u201cMost pulses are relatively cheap and quite mild in taste, making them ideal for bulking out soups, stews and curries without affecting the original flavour,\u201d says Maidment. \u201cYou can often use different varieties interchangeably, depending on what you have to hand.\u201d Chandler adds a handful of cooked pulses to all sorts of dishes. \u201cThrowing a few chickpeas or cannellini beans into a simple tomato sauce with pasta not only ups the nutritional profile, but also keeps you feeling full for much longer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Baked beans are just the beginning. <\/strong>\u201cBy far the most eaten pulse in the UK is the haricot bean due to its starring role in tinned baked beans,\u201d says Maidment. \u201cButter beans, cannellini beans, black beans and kidney beans are also popular, but there is a huge variety of beans to try. For instance, flageolet beans are delicate, pale-green beans popular in French cooking \u2013 try them in a slow-braised lamb stew with garlic, thyme and white wine.\u201d Chandler loves yin yang beans, AKA calypso or orca beans. \u201cThese black and white beans are utterly beautiful and taste wonderful in chilli,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n But beans on toast still rules. <\/strong>\u201cMy favourite pulse-based dish is garlicky beans and bitter greens on toast, topped with chilli oil,\u201d says Joe Yonan, the author of Cool Beans.<\/p>\n <\/span>Baked beans on toast.<\/span> Photograph: Anna Denisova\/Getty Images<\/p>\n You can make (almost) anything with chickpeas. <\/strong>\u201cThe chickpea is my favourite pulse, for its versatility,\u201d says Yonan. \u201cIt is the basis of hummus, the best dip on the planet. It\u2019s great in a coronation chickpea sandwich, and it holds its shape in salads and stews.\u201d For a snack, Yonan mixes cooked chickpeas with olive oil and spices (such as za\u2019atar, Chinese five spice, chaat masala or smoked paprika) and roasts them in the oven for an hour at 150C\/300F. \u201cI then turn off the oven but leave them in there to completely cool \u2013 it dries them out and makes them really satisfyingly crunchy.\u201d He also uses chickpea (AKA gram) flour to make farinata<\/em> or socca<\/em>, a savoury pancake; panisse<\/em> (chickpea fries); and bhajis and pakoras. \u201cSometimes I use it as a base for a sort of non-traditional, don\u2019t-tell-the-Italians pizza.\u201d<\/p>\n Lentils cook more quickly than most pulses. <\/strong>Red split lentils are especially quick, cooking in about 15 minutes. Lentils don\u2019t need soaking, but it does reduce the cooking time. Maidment likes to experiment with different dals. \u201cRegional Indian dals can be made with a range of lentils \u2013 yellow moong, black urad, chana dal \u2013 each bringing a slightly different flavour and texture,\u201d says Maidment. But she also has a soft spot for tinned lentils. \u201cI often roast drained, tinned lentils with olive oil and crushed garlic to boost their flavour and add crispness before throwing them into a salad \u2013 perhaps ricotta and prosciutto, or chopped fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.\u201d<\/p>\n Pulses make delicious dips. <\/strong>\u201cHummus is the classic, but you can blend most pulses into dips,\u201d says Maidment. \u201cFava, a fabulous Greek split yellow pea dip, is absolutely worth making.\u201d Blend cooked split yellow peas with caramelised onions and garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and a little of the beans\u2019 cooking liquor or water to make.<\/p>\n Pulse liquid has many uses. <\/strong>\u201cJarred and canned pulses are usually stored in a liquid known as aquafaba,\u201d says Maidment. \u201cIt can be great for adding creaminess to savoury dishes or used as an egg alternative in baking.\u201d She advises checking the salt levels and ingredients list before using \u2013 some pulses have added preserving and firming agents.<\/p>\n Black beans make the best veggie burgers<\/strong>, says Yonan. The Guardian\u2019s Meera Sodha agrees. She mashes a drained tin of black beans with breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powders, chipotle paste, dijon mustard, tomato ketchup and a splash of aquafaba, shapes them into patties, then fries them in olive oil until crispy.<\/p>\n British pulses are having a revival.<\/strong> Maidment and Chandler both recommend carlin peas, pleasingly also known as black badgers, which are a heritage British pulse. They are available dried and cooked from companies such as Hodmedod\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re small, nutty brown peas, and make a great alternative to chickpeas, with a similarly impressive nutrient profile,\u201d says Maidment. She roasts cooked carlin peas until crispy, then adds them to salads such as quinoa, broccoli and halloumi. Chandler uses them in dips and curries, and to make a version of refried beans. \u201cThey\u2019re much more versatile than yellow or green dried peas as they don\u2019t have such a pronounced \u2018pea\u2019 flavour,\u201d she says. In the US, Yonan suggests the lady pea, a spherical white bean that is popular in southern cuisine.<\/p>\n Pulses make great protein shakes. <\/strong>\u201cA handful of cooked pulses added into a smoothie will give it a great creamy texture and make it more nourishing,\u201d says Chandler. She adds black beans or borlotti beans to dark berry smoothies, and chickpeas, cannellini beans or butter beans to green smoothies.<\/p>\n <\/span>A plate of mochi, the Japanese dessert. <\/span> Photograph: TorriPhoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Pulse-based pasta is worth a try. <\/strong>There is an increasing range of high-fibre pasta made from pulse flour: peas, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, mung beans \u2026 Chandler enjoys this alternative pasta, but says she doesn\u2019t use it in classical Italian dishes: \u201cI may use it in a pasta salad, say, or team it with a blue cheese and walnut sauce.\u201d Yonan agrees that pulse pasta is best paired with \u201cpungent flavours \u2013 super-garlicky or spicy\u201d.<\/p>\n Pulses aren\u2019t just for savoury dishes.<\/strong> Yonan makes a chocolate and chickpea tart, and adds adzuki beans to brownies. \u201cAdzuki beans are used in a lot of Asian desserts, such as mochi and ice-cream,\u201d he says. Maidment prefers to use kidney beans in her brownies, while Chandler has a recipe for a simple chocolate and cannellini bean mousse. Drain and retain the liquid from a tin of cannellini beans. Blitz the beans with 150g of melted dark chocolate and an optional tablespoon of cocoa powder. Whisk the liquid for five to 10 minutes, until frothy. Fold into the melted chocolate and bean mix, and sweeten with a couple of tablespoons of maple or date syrup. Chill the mix before eating, perhaps topped with some chopped stem ginger in syrup, or served with fresh raspberries.<\/p>\n Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our <\/strong>letters<\/strong> section, please <\/strong>click here<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Worried about rising food prices, your diet\u2019s carbon footprint or whether you\u2019re eating healthily enough? Believe it or not, there could be a magic bullet: pulses. 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