{"id":51055,"date":"2016-07-21T07:15:19","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T11:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=51055"},"modified":"2021-05-15T04:12:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-15T08:12:16","slug":"pulses-superfood-benefits-recipes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/pulses-superfood-benefits-recipes\/","title":{"rendered":"Pulses: Your New Superfood with Nearly Twice the Protein as Quinoa"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Pulses:
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When planning out homemade meals, three words probably come to mind: Tasty, nutritious and inexpensive. And that\u2019s exactly what you\u2019ll get from pulses \u2014 or the dried seeds of legumes, including chickpeas<\/a>, lentils<\/a>, beans and peas. Of course, these ingredients aren\u2019t new, but they\u2019re definitely having a wellness moment as more people turn to plant-based meal plans<\/a> and diet experts praise them for their countless health benefits.<\/p>\n

Pulses: Your New Go-To Superfood? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pulses stand out from other plants thanks to their high fiber<\/a> and protein<\/a> counts \u2014 two essential nutrients that\u2019ll help keep you satisfied until your next meal, says Sara Haas<\/a>, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics<\/a>. They\u2019re also an excellent source of magnesium (important for boosting energy and helping muscles contract), potassium (crucial for maintaining normal blood pressure and mineral balance) and iron (essential for carrying oxygen throughout the body). Plus, pulses pack B vitamins<\/a>, which help the body fight off infections and support metabolism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 10 Nutrients Athletes Need Most<\/a><\/p>\n

The reason these good-for-you, filling foods are so cheap? \u201cThey\u2019re sustainable crops and require little, if any, nitrogen fertilizer,\u201d Haas explains. \u201cThey also improve the health of soil and have a low carbon footprint, requiring less energy to grow.\u201d Low-cost production means lower prices at the grocery store (a win for the environment and your bank account!). Buy them dried or canned in water. Or, just rinse them off to eliminate some of the sodium if they\u2019re sealed with salt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Finer Points of Pulses <\/strong><\/h3>\n

These legumes work great as a side dish when mixed with herbs and spices, but they also pump up the protein and fiber in soups, salads, chilis, tacos and even burgers<\/a>, says Haas. You can also mash them together to create a dip or spread, like this Zesty Black Bean Hummus recipe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>13 Amazingly Easy DIY Condiments Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

One thing you do want to keep in mind, though: Women need about 25 grams of fiber per day and men about 38 grams. If you get much less than this, Haas explains, it\u2019s best to slowly add pulses to your diet. That way, you won\u2019t get nauseous, constipated or bloated. (Drinking lots of water will help, too.) Try starting with a \u00bd-cup serving, see how you feel and increase from there, she says.<\/p>\n

Want more ways to incorporate pulses into your meals? We rounded up three delicious, easy-to-make dishes.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>14 Best Proteins for Meatless Meals<\/a><\/p>\n

3 Pulses Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Tex<\/p>\n

1. Tex Mex Breakfast Bowl
\n<\/a><\/strong>Meals in a bowl<\/a> are all the rage \u2014 and this one is simple yet packed with some serious flavor and nutrition. A combo of pico de gallo, refried beans (the pulse part) and scrambled eggs, the Mexican-inspired dish will leave you satisfied for hours. Photo and recipe: Kate \/ Cookie + Kate<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Quinoa<\/p>\n

2. Quinoa, Fennel and Chickpea Salad
\n<\/a><\/strong>Upgrade your typical bowl of greens with this veggie-packed recipe, also featuring arugula and radishes. Chickpeas provide one of the richest sources of protein in the pulse family (there\u2019s more than 10 grams in one cup). The lemon, parsley and mint dressing makes it taste extra fresh, too. Photo and recipe: Jackie \/ Vegan Yack Attack<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/p>\n

3. Vegan Sloppy Joes
\n<\/a><\/strong>A plant-based twist on a classic childhood favorite, these yummy sandwiches trade meat for lentils, without losing their indulgence. The sauce mixes savory, smoky and sweet, a taste you\u2019ll love. And they only take 30 minutes to make. Photo and recipe: Dana \/ Minimalist Baker<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not only are pulses earth- and wallet-friendly, they\u2019re chock-full of nutrients. Get the scoop on why these will be your favorite addition to every meal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[126,71,80,194,341,388],"class_list":["post-51055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-fiber","tag-nutrition","tag-protein","tag-superfood","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51055"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51055\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}