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Lentil Benefits & Uses for People & the Planet

People around the world have valued lentils as a food staple for millennia. They’re used in many popular and traditional dishes, such as lentil soup or Indian dal. Plant-based cooks value lentils for their versatility as a meat substitute. And they’ve got a lot of protein, which is nicely complemented by an abundance of fiber. Thanks to a neat trick that lentils (like all legumes) perform with the help of bacteria that live on their root nodules, they can also restore the fertility of overused soil and help to mitigate the effects of climate change.

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 Lentils: A Legume For The Ages

As a superfood, they are rich in protein — without the fat or cholesterol of animal sources — and provide B vitamins, magnesium, iron and zinc. In fact, lentils have the second highest protein content of all legumes, after soybeans. Because they are so high in protein, lentils are often a meat substitute in vegetarian diets. Pair them with a whole grain, such as brown rice, and you have a complete vegetarian protein source, meaning all the essential amino acids are present.

 Why Lentils Are Just About the Healthiest Food You Can Eat

Don't overlook these tiny legumes—in nutritional terms, they are a superfood.

Articles of Interest

Korea’s New Health Fad: Lentils

The concept of well-being has been used by South Korean marketers to sell everything from wine shampoo to car seats that memorize your shape. But in the land of salty ramen and sugary bread, the current healthy eating trend is for the humble lentil.

Why you shouldn't ignore lentils and peas—protein-packed superfoods

Just like beans, peas and lentils are packed with protein and antioxidant compounds. Why don’t we eat more of them? Peas and lentils may seem like unrelated foods, but, like other members of the legume family—which additionally include soybeans, chickpeas, and peanuts—their commonality has less to do with how we eat them than with how they botanically behave. All legumes form a mutually beneficial relationship with bacteria in their roots that enable them to pull nitrogen from the atmosphere into the ground, fueling the growth of both these plants and future plantings.

Can Chickpeas and Lentils Help Control Diabetes?

They’re a common part of traditional diets in India and Latin America, but in western repasts, legumes or pulses — that’s lentils, dried beans, and chick peas — have generally been a culinary afterthought. That may soon change, however, thanks to new research suggesting legumes alone can improve the health of diabetics.

Eat (lentils) as the Romans do

True to Roman traditions, these days it’s mostly simple, unfussy, nutritious food that tastes good. I like good value too. I also enjoy not cooking as much as I do cooking, so the prospect of a pan of food that provides two or three meals is very appealing. This is why a big pan of lentils, braised with a soffritto of extra virgin olive oil, onion, carrot, celery and garlic is one of the dishes I rely on most, half to be served with some pasta or rice, the rest the following day (when the lentils are even tastier) with grilled or pan-fried sausage or a frilly-edged fried egg.

Fiber: Lentils' Health Benefits — An Ancient Seed Finds Its Rightful Place at the Modern Table

Archeological excavations near present-day Syria have unearthed small lentil seeds, indicating wild lentils were being harvested as early as 9200 to 7500 BC. It's difficult to identify when lentils became a common staple, but archeologists point to a large store of lentils found at a site in northern Israel as evidence that lentil seeds were being cultivated by 6800 BC.1 Given this long journey through human history, it's perhaps surprising that many consumers in the United States lack awareness of the health benefits of lentils and how easy they are to cook.

Health-promoting benefits of lentils: Anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects

Lentils are rich in proteins, essential amino acids, minerals, and fibers, making them a valuable source of nutrition, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Lentils have many health benefits, including positive effects on diabetes management, support for cardiovascular health, and antioxidative properties.

How to Use Lentils + 7 Healthy Lentil Recipes

If you want to make a healthy, hearty, and hot plant-based dish from scratch in less than 30 minutes, one of your best options is to cook some lentils. Whether you’re a gourmet cook circumnavigating the world in your kitchen, or a back-to-basics master throwing together a classic lentil soup, these tiny pulses can add body and taste to your cooking.

How to Use Lentils to Add Fiber and Protein to Your Favorite Meals and Snacks

Lentils may not be one of the most popular legumes in the US (that honor belongs to pinto, black, kidney, lima, and garbanzo beans, according to one 2021 study), but make no mistake about it: The Southwest Asia staple is just as tasty and versatile as its more commonly purchased counterparts—and definitely deserves just as much love in your kitchen.

Lentils – my smart legume

Lentils have almost no fat and are packed with fibre, protein, B vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium and zinc. Like all legumes or pulses, they are gluten-free. However, to my mind, their greatest benefit is that lentils boast one of the lowest Glycemic Index (GI) of any starchy food, meaning they fill you up and keep hunger away. This is primarily because their starch breaks down relatively slowly or incompletely during cooking and they contain enzyme inhibitors that also slow digestion.

Lentils: Packed With Protein — and Flavor

I still love any type of lentil — green, brown or black — but I especially like the way green lentils hold their shape when cooked. They taste like other lentils, and they’re really more brown than green after cooking. But the texture makes them wonderful, particularly in salads.

Lentils: The Big Health Benefits of Tiny Seeds

Lentils gained popularity as an affordable meat substitute in the U.S. during World War II. Today, they thrive in kitchens as a nutritious plant-based protein that can suit any cuisine or flavor. These small, gluten-free legumes pack a healthful punch. Lentils are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, without the fat or cholesterol of red meat. If you’re trying to find a quick, nutritious dinner and wondering, “Is lentil soup good for me?” the answer is “yes.” (The only decision is what color lentils to use!)

Superfood of the Week: Lentils

Lentils, ladies. They don't get enough street cred. One cup of 'em cooked delivers 16 grams of appetite-curbing fiber and 18 grams of protein, plus adds up to a (measly) 220 calories with virtually no fat. Lentils also cook...

The Many Lives of Lentils

Lately, it is lentils that most strike my fancy. Aside from being delicious, they have the advantage of being quick-cooking. It usually takes no more than 30 minutes to simmer a pot, so they are perfect for a relatively fast meal.

Why Lentils Are a Smart Choice

Easy-cooking and versatile, these petite legumes are pantry prodigies. Here’s the lowdown on the different lentil varieties, plus a few simple and delicious ways to cook them.

Resources

Five Ways to Eat Lentils

Tired of soup? Use them in cookies, pies or puddings—no, really.

Top 5 health benefits of lentils

Studies demonstrate that regularly eating lentils reduces your risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease. This is thanks to their rich content of protective plant compounds called phenols – lentils being amongst the top ranked legumes for phenolic content. It comes as no surprise then that lentils boast an antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effect and are cardio-protective.