Next up is another plant family that has a
lot in common with grains: legumes. Legumes
include all types of beans, peas, lentils, and
peanuts (which are not actually a “nut” at all).
Like cereal grains, plants in this family have
similarities in the way they behave and what
chemical constituents they contain, which
impacts us when we eat them.
The similarity to grains starts with the
seed. Legumes are actually a plant family, but
the part we eat when we consume black beans,
soy, or lentils is the seed of the legume plant.
The seeds of legumes, like the seeds from
cereal grains, store a large amount of energy
in the form of carbohydrate. In fact, in most
legumes, the amount of carbohydrate present
is double or triple that of protein.
Now, remember—we are not afraid of