Thanks to the high-quality protein they contain, lentils are a very good source of plant protein for vegans. The taste of lentils can range from earthy to nutty. The different types of lentils, which are all round and flat, differ not only in size but also in color. Red lentils come from India and are particularly known from the national dish dal. As they are already hulled, they cook quickly and turn into a kind of purée. And you don’t have to soak them ahead of time. Cooked lentils can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator. They have a neutral flavor and take on the taste of the spices well.
General information:
From Wikipedia: “The lentil (Lens culinaris) is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40 cm (16 in) tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.
In South Asian cuisine, split lentils (often with their hulls removed) are known as lentils. Usually eaten with rice or rotis, the lentil is a dietary staple throughout regions of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. As a food crop, the majority of world production comes from Canada, India and Australia.”
Nutritional value:
“According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 100 g of raw lentils (variety unspecified) provide 353 calories; the same weight of cooked lentils provides 116 calories. Raw lentils are 8% water, 63% carbohydrates including 11% dietary fiber, 25% protein and 1% fat. Lentils are a rich source of numerous essential nutrients, including folate, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, phosphorus, iron and zinc, among others. When lentils are cooked by boiling, protein content declines to 9% of total composition, and B vitamins and minerals decrease due to the overall water content increasing (protein itself isn't lost).
Lentils have the second-highest ratio of protein per calorie of any legume, after soybeans.
The low levels of readily digestible starch (5%), and high levels of slowly digested starch, make lentils of potential value to people with diabetes. The remaining 65% of the starch is a resistant starch classified as RS1. A minimum of 10% in starch from lentils escapes digestion and absorption in the small intestine (therefore called "resistant starch").
Lentils also have anti-nutrient factors, such as trypsin inhibitors and a relatively high phytate content. Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion, and phytates reduce the bioavailability of dietary minerals. The phytates can be reduced by prolonged soaking and fermentation or sprouting.”
Culinary uses:
“The seeds require a cooking time of 10 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety—shorter for small varieties with the husk removed, such as the common red lentil—and have a distinctive, earthy flavor. Lentils with husk remain whole with moderate cooking; lentils without husk tend to disintegrate into a thick purée, which leads to quite different dishes. Lentil recipes are used throughout South Asia, the Mediterranean regions and West Asia. They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time. A lentil and rice dish is referred to in Arab countries as mujaddara or mejadra. In Iran, rice and lentil is served with fried raisin; this dish is called Adas Polo, and usually comes with ground beef. Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi, a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent (India and Pakistan); a similar dish, kushari, made in Egypt, is considered one of two national dishes. Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup all over Europe and North and South America, sometimes combined with some form of chicken or pork.
Dried lentils can be sprouted by soaking in water for one day and keeping moist for several days, which changes their nutrition profile and reduces undesirable phytic acid.
Lentils were a chief part of the diet of ancient Iranians, who consumed lentils daily in the form of a stew poured over rice.
Lentils are commonly eaten in Ethiopia in a stew-like dish called kik, or kik wot, one of the dishes people eat with Ethiopia's national food, injera flat bread. Yellow lentils are used to make a non-spicy stew, which is one of the first solid foods Ethiopian women feed their babies.
In the Indian Subcontinent lentil curry is part of the everyday diet, eaten with both rice and roti. Boiled lentils and lentil stock are used to thicken most vegetarian curries. They are also used as stuffing in dal parathas and puri for breakfast or snacks. Lentils are also used in many regional varieties of sweets.”
Production:
“Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought, and are grown throughout the world. FAOSTAT reported that the world production of lentils for calendar year 2013 was 4,975,621 metric tons, primarily coming from Canada, India and Australia.
About a quarter of the worldwide production of lentils is from India, most of which is consumed in the domestic market. Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world, and Saskatchewan is the most important producing region in Canada (growing 99% of Canadian lentils). Statistics Canada estimates that Canadian lentil production for the 2009/10 year was a record 1.5 million metric tons. The most commonly grown type is the Laird lentil.
The Palouse region of eastern Washington and the Idaho panhandle, with its commercial center at Pullman, Washington, constitute the most important lentil-producing region in the United States. Montana and North Dakota are also significant lentil growers. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported United States 2007 production at 154.5 thousand metric tons.”
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Energy | 116 kcal 485 kJ | 5.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal |
Fat/Lipids | 0.38 g | 0.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g |
Saturated Fats | 0.05 g | 0.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 20 g | 7.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g |
Sugars | 1.8 g | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 90g |
Fiber | 7.9 g | 31.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g |
Protein/Albumin | 9.0 g | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g |
Cooking Salt (Na:2.0 mg) | 5.1 mg | 0.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Vit | Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 181 µg | 91.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Prot | Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.32 g | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Prot | Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.63 g | 34.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Prot | Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.08 g | 33.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Prot | Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.39 g | 31.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Prot | Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.44 g | 29.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Prot | Valine (Val, V) | 0.45 g | 28.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Prot | Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.65 g | 27.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 180 mg | 26.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Min | Copper, Cu | 0.25 mg | 25.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential fatty acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.04 g | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 0.14 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.32 g | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.63 g | 34.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.08 g | 33.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.39 g | 31.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.44 g | 29.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.45 g | 28.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.65 g | 27.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.08 g | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 181 µg | 91.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.17 mg | 15.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.18 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.64 mg | 11.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 1.1 mg | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.07 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 1.5 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin K | 1.7 µg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 75 µg |
Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 0.11 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Phosphorus, P | 180 mg | 26.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Potassium, K | 369 mg | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 36 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 19 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 2.0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Copper, Cu | 0.25 mg | 25.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Manganese, Mn | 0.49 mg | 25.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Iron, Fe | 3.3 mg | 24.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 1.3 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Selenium, Se | 2.8 µg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
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