10 Ways to Eat More Pulses – Beans, Peas and Lentils

Want to add more pulses to your everyday routine, but not sure how? Pulses are a great source of plant-based proteins and part of eating for brain health.

Also Read: Healthy Eating for Brain Health, How to Cook Pulses, Top Sources of Plant Based Proteins

Here are ten different ways to add more pulses to your diet along with links to recipe ideas for each. For tips on how to cook dried pulses check out How to Cook Dried Pulses – Regular or Instant Pot.

10 Ways to Add More Pulses to Your Diet

1. Add them to salads or veggie-grain bowls.

Falafel Salad Bowl with Bulgur/Quinoa

Zesty Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Southwestern Bean and Pepper Salad

Whole Grain Salad with Chickpeas and Feta

Mediterranean Tomato, Cucumber and Chickpea Pasta Salad

Classic Three Bean Salad

2. Use them in soups either whole or pureed.

The Ultimate Customizable Chowder – pureed white beans to thicken

Beet and Bean Soup – Vegetarian/Vegan Borscht

Italian Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

Lentil Soup – With or Without Bacon

Yellow Split Pea Soup – a zippy pea soup inspired by the flavours of India

3. Use as a spread in wraps or on top of tacos or quesadillas.

Try whole beans, pureed or refried beans all work.

Black Bean Quesadillas

4. Add to chili or curry recipes.

You can go all beans for a vegetarian or vegan dish or do a combination of meat and beans. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Butternut and Bean Chili

Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

Very Quick Butter Chickpeas

Classic Chili Con Carne

Green Bean and Pork Chili

5. Use bean or lentil puree in baking.

Replace up to half the fat in baking recipes with pureed beans or lentils.

Black Bean Brownies from Registered Dietitian, Nita Sharda at Carrots and Cake
Red Lentil Waffles from Professional Home Economist, Marilyn Smith

6. Use as a base for vegetarian burgers.

Black Bean Burger Patties

7. Enjoy them as dry roasted snacks or salad toppings.

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

8. Add them to smoothies for extra thickness and nutrition.

Pureed white beans or cooked pureed red lentils work best.
Pina Colada White Bean Smoothie – from Great Tastes of Manitoba

9. Mix in to rice, quinoa or other grain side dishes.

The combination of whole grains and pulses will provide you with all essential amino acids in one meal. They also taste great and will keep you feeling satisfied longer.

Jewelled Fried Rice with Black Beans – from The Kitchen Fairy a Canadian Food Blogger

Zesty Quinoa Bean Salad

Carribean Style Rice & Beans – from Peppers and Pennies

10. Use to make tasty spreads and dips.

Hummus is a classic spread, but don’t stop there! Add your favorite seasonings to pureed cooked beans or lentils to make a spread for sandwiches, bagels or wraps.

Chickpea Hummus or White Bean Hummus

My Favourite Pulse Recipes

Well there you have it, my top ten ways to add more pulses to your diet. What are your favourite ways to enjoy more beans, peas and lentils?

What About Gas and Bloating from Beans

Pulses are a fantastic source of soluble fibre, the kind that your body is able to break down and use. But digesting pulses isn’t as easy as it sounds, thanks to a type of carbohydrate in beans called oligosaccharides. Our body needs the help of gut bacteria to digest these oligosaccharides (Os). Our good gut bacteria eat the Os. (pulses are a prebiotic – foods that feed our good gut bacteria). Those bacteria do a fantastic job but as they digest the Os, they also release gas. Hence the build of gas in you. If trapped, this gas may make you feel bloated. It’s often released through burping or farting. Just a normal part of our digestion.

For most people, a little gas is a non issue or maybe slightly embarrassing. For others, it can be extremely uncomfortable or even painful. Every person is different. If you find it unbearable, consider chatting with a Registered Dietitian about other sources of the nutrients offered by pulses or talk to your Doctor if you suspect there may be more going on.

If you want to reduce some of the effects, here are few tips:

1. Add pulses in small amounts to let your body adjust to the additional fibre.
2. Drink plenty of liquids when adding pulses to your diet, it will help with digestion.
3. When using dried beans, soak them in water first to remove some of the oligosaccharides.
4. When using canned beans, rinse them well to remove some of the oligosaccharides. Bonus – rinsing them will also remove excess sodium.
5. Cook pulses with ingredients like cumin, fennel, ginger, turmeric, caraway, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, rosemary to help break them down.
6. Drink herbal teas made with carminative herbs like anise, chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm. These will help soothe and relieve gas.
7. Break down the oligosaccharides before they reach your GI with digestive aids like Beano or Gas-X.

Does gas or bloating prevent you from enjoying pulses? How do you manage any bloating or gas?