Cook Your Meatless Monday Dinner on the Cheap With These 15 Lentil Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the healthiest way to eat lentils? ›

Lentils are a nutritious food that's low-fat and high in protein and fiber. While they make a delicious addition to a soup, stew or salad, you should not eat them raw. No matter which type of lentils you buy, you can easily cook them by boiling your lentils in water on the stove.

For every one pound of ground beef, you can substitute one cup of dried, uncooked lentils. One cup of dried lentils equals about two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils.

Districts across the country already practice Meatless Mondays, sometimes offering meat alternatives to regular lunch entrees, such as veggie burgers or vegan pizza, so students can still enjoy their favorite meals.

If you happen to run out of the legume when making a hearty lentil soup, split peas are the next best thing. With both lentils and split peas coming from the legume family, they can be used almost interchangeably. Although they look alike, they're grown and cultivated in different ways.

Lentils and beans are rich in soluble fiber, which is the single best carbohydrate to help you burn belly fat. "Soluble fiber forms a thick gel when it binds with water in the body," Tracy said. "This gel that forms therefore slows digestion in the body, which keeps you feeling full for longer!

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Thanks to the robust flavor, these lentils pair well with meaty veggies and marinated proteins like mushrooms, tofu, and seitan. Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

The combination of wheat or rice with beans or lentils is referred to as complementary because they create a nutritionally complete protein.

Eat too many lentils, or undercooked lentils, and you may feel the effects — and anyone near you might hear them. Lentils, like some fruits and vegetables, contain fiber that's difficult for your body to break down. It also helps produce good bacteria in your gut. But too much can cause cramping and gas.

Cooking lentils in boiling water significantly increased protein, starch, IDF, TDF, resistant starch, Ca, Cu and Mn content, whereas reduced ash, Fe, K, Mg, P, Zn, TIA, phytic acid, tannins, sucrose and oligosaccharides were observed.

Can my Meatless Monday include cheese or eggs? It's your choice whether to include cheese or eggs, but we encourage you to investigate plant-based options for your Monday meals. Their variety is endless and you're sure to find some delectable new choices in our recipes section.

What day do we stop eating meat? ›

On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent: Everyone of age 14 and up must abstain from consuming meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: Everyone of age 18 to 59 must fast, unless exempt due to usually a medical reason.

However, because they are good fats, we're willing to declare Chickpeas as the winner when it comes to fats. Fats from plants and vegetables in particular tend to be healthy. Chickpea and lentils both only contain what scientists consider "good fats." Therefore, Chickpeas are better as they have more "good fats."

Nutritional properties: Lentils have a lower phytate content than beans and are lower in indigestible sugars, which means that they are less likely to lead to flatulence than beans. Beans are also slightly higher in carbs than lentils, though their dietary fiber content can vary between legumes.

If you eat fiber-rich lentils regularly, they can cause gas and bloating. If you are sensitive to fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyol (FODMAP) foods, lentils can cause discomfort, as well as bloating and gas in the colon.

Allow them to soak at least 8 hours or overnight. Boiling is the next step that helps to further break down the anti-nutrients and makes the beans and lentils more digestible. First, place them in a large pot and cover them with water. Next, bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

For a complete meal, add naan (flatbread) or a rice dish and a vegetable curry dish. Per serving: 193 calories, 8g fat, 24g carb, 9g protein, 490 mg sodium, 4g fiber. This nutrition information is for the dal only. You need to add any flatbread, rice, or vegetable curry if eaten.

Aim to soak your beans or lentils for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. Dump the soaking water (i.e. don't use it to cook the beans). Then be sure to give your beans/lentils a good rinse before cooking to wash away those gas-producing carbohydrates. Introduce them slowly.

Lentils are good source of protein. A ½ cup serving of cooked lentils provides about 12 grams of protein. With such high protein content, you are sure to be fuelled up all day long.