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Health & Fitness

Mediterranean Dietary Tip #2: Legumes for Lunch

Learning to combine legumes and grains for heartier protein options is a great advantage of the Mediterranean diet.

Mediterranean Dietary Tip #2: Legumes for Lunch written by Stan Lawson of Sequoia Senior Solutions   

Have you ever considered soaking sprouts in your favorite salad dressing? How about a long simmer of your favorite legume in your most frequently chosen broth? Most people recognize these as lentils and beans, foods loaded up with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Not to mention they are also a good source of protein with trace amounts of fats.

Are you concerned about the need to consume large amounts of fruits and vegetables as the only way to incorporate plant foods while on the Mediterranean Diet? What about legumes? Most folks who are living on the Mediterranean coast also eat an ample amount of legumes along with their fruits and vegetables.

Understanding how to combine legumes with grains for heartier protein combinations is one of the great advantages of the Mediterranean diet. You are able to combine beans and legumes with corn, wild and other kinds of rice, and even sprouted forms of massively nutritious augmentations. Learning to combine these flavors and foods in a manner that excites you about the next meal - is the ticket to being able to remain true to the healthy goals of taking on the robust and rich benefits of being on a Mediterranean diet.

A Lunch Recipe for the Mediterranean Diet: Lentil Salad

 

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This recipe is borrowed from Meri Raffetto and Wendy Jo Peterson authors of Mediterranean Diet Cookbook For Dummies.

Lentils - a small, round legume that makes for a very healthy choice for any meal. Using lentils in recipes is an excellent way to add plant-based protein to your Mediterranean Diet meals. This is because they are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals like folate or iron. Lentils are simple to cook with. They take-on other flavors from other ingredients like your herbs, spices, or broth. Knowing how to enhance the flavor of your lentils makes for some of the most savory Mediterranean cooking.

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Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Prep time: 8 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

2 cups water

1/2 cup dry brown or red lentils

One 14.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 Roma or plum tomatoes, chopped, or one 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 carrot, grated

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

  1. In a 2-quart stockpot, bring the water and lentils to a boil on high heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain any excess liquid.
  2. In a serving bowl, mix the cooked lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrot. Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil.
  3. Stir the lemon vinaigrette into the salad, top with the cilantro, season with salt to taste, and serve.

Per serving: Calories 194 (From Fat 50); Fat 6g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 101mg; Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 9g); Protein 8g.

Preparation of delightful gourmet-style meals such as this rich and nutritious lentil based salad can make-or-break a healthy recovery for anyone with serious health issues involving the heart, the immune system, and the body-brain interaction of diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.

In the same way the body moves to heal a cut on the arm without assistance, the body can utilize the fuel we provide to usher mandatory essential nutrients to the places the body has deficits that have caused a disease condition due to lack of the proper elements caused by an inadequate diet.

Stay tuned for more healthy recipe's and easy-to-prepare main meals and snacks that will assist you and/or your loved ones to live the healthiest lifestyle possible while overcoming and sometimes even reversing serious health issues.

Eating well today - leads to longer, happier lives.

You might also want to visit our previous article Mediterranean Diet--A Way to Lessen Incidence of Alzheimer's Disease.

For more great information, please come visit the blog at our Sequoia Senior Solutions website.
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