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I usually like Mark’s Daily Apple, but I was really disappointed in his recent post on beans. He really gave these wondrous morsels a bad wrap!

Legumes aren’t, by any means, the worst thing you can eat, but they don’t make the ideal meal either. In my estimation, legumes fall into the “O.K.” category with wine, chocolate, cheese and other dairy, etc.

What the hell? Beans are awesome. Like it or not, we humans have been eating beans for ages. They’ve been found in 5,000 year-old settlements in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, and even in Egyptian pyramids. Pyramids, people - you think these wonders of the world were built on lousy nutrition?

If you subscribe to the notion that you need a high protein, low carb diet to get fit, then fine - beans are not ideal. But neither is this lifestyle (in my opinion). Beans supply an awesome balance of protein and complex carbs, plus loads of vitamins and minerals. And they’re not pumped with nasty chemicals or raised in manure on a factory farm. And unlike most meats, beans have been shown to be awesome for your heart.

• They are a good source of potassium, which may help reduce your risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
• Dry beans are a good source of folic acid, which protects against heart disease by breaking down an amino acid called homocysteine.
• In a large study of almost 10,000 men and women, those who ate beans four or more times a week cut their risk of coronary heart disease by about 20 percent, compared with those who ate beans less than once a week.
• Other studies show that within two to three weeks, diets high in either canned or dry beans (3 to 4 ounces per day) reduce blood cholesterol levels by 10 percent or more: an effect that can result in a 20 percent decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Beans and lentils have the same potent anti-inflammatory antioxidants—flavonoids and flavonals—found in tea, fruits, grapes, red wine and cocoa beans.
• Beans are among the richest food sources of saponins, chemicals that help prevent undesirable genetic mutations.

So that’s my little rant. Hope you don’t mind.

Here’s more information on beans. Maybe Mark should have a read!

Beans for Health
Superfood: Beans and Lentils
Beans and other legumes: Types and tasty tips

Some lentils play hard to get. Take the yellow lentil, for instance: even after an hour of cooking she’s still tough on the teeth. But the green lentil, well, she’s a bit of a slut.

Green lentils are fast and easy: they require no soaking, take just 20 minutes to cook, and will go with about any vegetable you throw at it. Better still, they’re high protein, low fat, and full of fiber. Not to mention cheap: according to Cheap Healthy Good, a serving of a similar soup costs just $0.69.

Because they’re so easy to cook, green lentils are ideal for quick soups on cold days. This soup doesn’t really need a recipe: just throw in whatever veggies you have on hand. Carrots and tomato are especially good, as is parsley.

Fast and Easy Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 250g green lentils
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 ribs of celery, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• A handful of parsley
• Enough vegetable stock to cover (or more if you desire a soupy soup)
• Ground black pepper

Directions

Put everything together in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Optional: At the end, freshen the soup with a splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon.
Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4.
Per serving: 282 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; 18g Protein; 51g Carbohydrate

Nutrition information derived from the USDA food database.

Link to other high protein vegan foods