The New Complete Book of Food

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r Lentils

See also Beans.

Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate

Protein: High

Fat: Low

Saturated fat: Low

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: High

Fiber: Very high

Sodium: Moderate

Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin B 6 , folate

Major mineral contribution: Magnesium, iron, zinc

About the Nutrients in This Food

Lentils are seeds, a very high-fiber, low-fat, high-protein food. They are an

excellent source of insoluble dietary fiber (cellulose and lignin in the seed

covering) and soluble dietary fiber (pectins and gums in the bean). Their

proteins are plentiful but limited in the essential amino acids methionine

and cystine. Lentils are a good source of the B vitamin folate and nonheme

iron, the form of iron found in plants.

One-half cup soaked lentils has 7.8 g dietary fiber, 8.9 g protein, 0.4 g

fat, 179 mcg folate (45 percent of the RDA), and 3.3 mg iron (6 percent of the

RDA for a woman, 41 percent of the RDA for a man).

Raw lentils contain antinutrient chemicals that inactivate enzymes

you need to digest proteins and carbohydrates (starches). They also con-

tain factors that inactivate vitamin A, and they have hemagglutinins, sub-

stances that make red blood cells clump together. Cooking lentils disarms

the enzyme inhibitors and the anti-vitamin A factors, but not the hemag-

glutinins. However, the amount of hemagglutinins in lentils is so small

that it has no measurable effect in your body.

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food

Cooked, with meat, milk, cheese, or a grain (rice, pasta) to complete the

proteins in the lentils.