A few months ago I was watching an episode of one of my favourite T.V. shows called The Ultimate Fighter. On this show there was a guy that was a vegetarian and insisted on consuming a diet based on pulses to provide him with copious amounts of energy, and ensure that he fulfilled his vitamin and mineral intakes each day. I thought to myself at the time “I wonder if this really works?”. I watched him as he fought for 3 five minute rounds of mixed martial arts and was impressed with his high energy levels. Watching this guy left me asking a few questions to myself that i have since been able to answer and will recap in this post.
What are pulses?
Pulses are edible seeds that grow in pods on plants of the Leguminosae family. The Leguminosae family of plants is the second largest in the plant kingdom and has been harvested for thousands of years. Pulses were among the first plants to be harvested by humans and have therefore been used in diets for thousands of years.
Pulses include the whole range of beans, peas and lentils such as:
- baked beans
- red, green, yellow and brown lentils
- black eyed peas
- garden peas
- runner beans
- chickpeas
- broad beans
- kidney beans
- butter beans
What do they offer as a dietary ingredient?
Pulses are a great source of protein and iron. This makes them the perfect ingredient to add to casseroles and soups as a substitute for meat. By using them in place of meat you will reduce the fat content of the dish, and reduce the cost of dish, an important factor for students and large families.
Pulses also contain complex carbohydrates that can not be digested by humans. This is also known as fibre and helps the transit of food from the stomach and through the large intestine. Fibre has many health benefits including the prevention of colon cancer.
They are also a source of iron but need to be supplemented with vitamin C, a glass of orange juice, in order to fully absorb it. Iron is vital for the transport of oxygen in the blood stream as well as maintaining metabolic functions of the body.
Buying pulses
Pulses can be bought as tinned or dried ingredients. A firm favourite of the tinned variety are baked beans. As with all tinned pulses they are very easy to use because they are cooked, soaked and ready to use heated up or cold. It is important to check the nutritional content label of the tin to ensure that the salt and sugar content are not high.
Tinned pulses should be eaten within their use by date.
Dried pulses need to be soaked and cooked for a fairly long duration in order for them to become soft enough to eat. It is often more convenient to soak beans over night to ensure that they are ready for cooking. Adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda will speed up the process. The quickest method is achieved by bringing the pulses to boil, turning off the heat, cover them and leave to soak for an hour. In all cases the soaking water should not be used to further cook the the pulses. Exceptions to soaking are lentils, green and yellow split peas and mung beans.
Dried kidney beans and soya beans contain natural toxins and must be soaked for for at least 8 and 12 hours respectively and cooked properly. The toxins are only dangerous when eat as part of a raw bean. For more advice on these beans and their toxins please check here.
Dried pulses can be stored for six months to a year if kept in an air tight container away from direct sunlight.
Once pulses have been cooked they should be left to cool, sealed in an air tight container, refrigerated and consumed within 2 days.
A tasty recipe
Tomatoe and Haricot bean soup
Ingredients
30ml/2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
675g/1½lb tomatoes, peeled and quartered
900ml/1½pt vegetable stock
30ml/2tbsp tomato purée
100g/4oz haricot beans (soaked overnight)
2tbsp chopped fresh mint
salt & freshly ground black pepper
mint leaves to garnish
Method
1. Heat the oil, add the onion and sauté, then add the garlic and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato purée together with the drained beans.
Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour or until beans are tender.
3. Add mint and seasoning and serve garnished with mint leaves.
Courtesy of vegsoc.org
Maybe you already include pulses as part of your diet. If so then please feel free to leave a comment of your favourite recipe or type of pulse. Do you have any secret recipes that you are willing to share?
Links:
www.suite101.com | www.beanbible.com | www.vegsoc.org | www.bbc.co.uk | www.eatwell.gov.uk
4 Comments
This post couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I remember that guy. He was also very sensitive to people killing bugs. I think adding more beans into my diet would help, but it’s hard because I need to be on the go. Don’t have the time to actually make anything. Thanks man.
@parth
that’s the guy. he was a real character and fought like a warrior. have you seen all the seasons of TUF? it’s one of my favourite shows.
Try these wraps. They are delicious and very quick and easy.
Ingredients
* 1 small onion , sliced
* 1 tbsp vegetable oil
* 400g can mixed beans , drained and rinsed
* 400g can chopped tomatoes
* 30g sachet fajita seasoning (we like Discovery), or 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
* 8 soft corn tortillas wraps (Old El Paso are good)
* grated cheese , guacamole and soured cream
* handful coriander or parsley, roughly chopped
Method
1. Gently fry onions for 5 mins in oil, until softened. Tip in beans, tomatoes and seasoning, then simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, warm the wraps in the microwave on High for 1 min.
3. Take a large spoonful of beans and spoon along the centre of each wrap. Top with some grated cheese, a spoonful of guacamole and soured cream and a sprinkling of coriander or parsley. Wrap into a cigar shape and eat straight away.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1817/quick-chilli-bean-wraps.jsp
Thanks for dropping by
Interesting stuff. I tell you who definitely needed some high energy. The new Man City stiker Benjani. According to the times, the deal did not nearly go through because he fell asleep at the airport and missed two planes. I now start to understand why these stars have an entourage as most likely he would still be there sleeping it out at the airport.
Therefore, on a related note, what are some of the best recovery foods after a workout/football match/ hard core love making?… (make of the activity what you will)
@FGN
“hard core love making” is not a phrase I’m familiar with BUT I get the gist of it.
On the topic of Benjani, the transfer window last for a month but 95% of all transfer go through in the final hours. There are bound to be cock ups. Agents are money grabbers and many footballers have no care where they play their football so long as the money is good. Sven must be mad to sign him. Or maybe he knows something that I don’t.
After a workout my firm favourite is Ambrosia rice pudding. I have often called it the food of the gods but little did i know, until recently, that the word Ambrosia is Greek for exactly that phrase. Besides this coincidence the ration of carbohydrate to protein is 3:1 and is perfect for muscle repair (protein) and refuelling energy stores (carbohydrate). Their is an optimal window of time for this process of refuelling and repair that is approximately 15 minutes, and at most 2 hours.
Since you asked such a pertinent question i feel obliged to publish a related post.
Thanks for the comment and the inspiring question.
p.s. good luck with the hard core sessions…