Legumes

As the earth’s human population tops eight billion, we need to figure out how to feed all those people without destroying the planet itself. In recent years, pea protein has emerged as a promising alternative to animal sources of protein, like meat and dairy. But is pea protein, a processed food, really better for us and the environment?

Beans are one of those foods that you either love or loathe. If you’re in the latter camp it’s probably because you had an experience where you tried to love them, but they didn’t love you back. In this article, we will make our best attempt to show you that beans are a food to love due to their nutritional value, culinary versatility, and economic benefit. And, of course, we will also discuss the various ways of preparing beans so that they love you back by being kind to your belly.

Roughly one-quarter of all calories consumed in the United States come from refined flour made from grains — mostly wheat. Maybe that’s fine — after all, humans have been grinding grain into flour for tens of thousands of years. And, maybe it isn’t — modern milling methods produce flour that may be contributing to our twin epidemics of obesity and chronic disease. In this article, we’ll discuss the different kinds of flour, which are healthier than others, and how can you healthfully incorporate them into your diet.

If you want to make a healthy, hearty, and hot plant-based dish from scratch in less than 30 minutes, one of your best options is to cook some lentils. Whether you’re a gourmet cook circumnavigating the world in your kitchen, or a back-to-basics master throwing together a classic lentil soup, these tiny pulses can add body and taste to your cooking. Plus, eating more lentils is a great way to contribute to slowing climate change. If you’re looking for ideas or recipes to get more lentils into your life, read on!

We hear about superfoods all the time — amazing, exotic berries harvested from over 17,000 feet up in the Himalayas, or rare roots found only on Tuesdays three days before a full moon. I’m exaggerating, of course, but the functional food industry loves to sell us extremely expensive products that they claim contain health-promoting powers that don’t exist in “ordinary” foods. It turns out, though, that many of the inexpensive, readily available foods right under our noses are unappreciated “superfoods” in their own right.

Lentils are unassuming culinary heroes, featured in dishes from a wide variety of culinary traditions. Not only are they delicious, versatile, easy to cook, and nutrient-rich powerhouses, lentils also feature prominently in efforts to mitigate climate change and engage in sustainable food production. So what can lentils do for you and how can you get more of them into your life?

If you’re looking for the healthiest foods to include in your diet on a regular basis, memorize one acronym — GBOMBS. When you stack up all the foods you could eat by how many nutrients they provide per calorie, greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds top the charts. But how do you get them onto your plate and into your belly on a regular basis? This article shares tips and a GBOMBS meal plan that includes yummy recipes and a shopping list.

Beans are some of the healthiest and most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Discover some of the top health benefits of beans, why they’re sometimes controversial in the nutrition world, and how you can best prepare and use beans in delicious, plant-based recipes.

Tempeh, like tofu, is a soybean-based food often used as a meat substitute. Unlike its better-known cousin, tempeh is a whole food — and a fermented one at that. It’s also denser than tofu and requires different cooking methods to bring out its deliciousness. In this article, you’ll learn why and how you might want to add this popular Asian delicacy to your diet.

Peas are funny little vegetables that come from the same plant family as beans and lentils. While they’re often grouped into a “plain Jane” side dish category, peas have a lot to offer nutritionally and for your health. And they can be delicious as well, despite what you might remember from your childhood.

There’s more to garbanzo beans than meets the eye, and the world seems to be noticing. Also known as chickpeas, garbanzos are a versatile source of plant protein and many other important nutrients. Read on to discover their health benefits and the best (and most delicious) ways to add them to your diet.

Soy is celebrated as a superfood by some who claim it can fight heart disease, hormone-related cancers, and osteoporosis while providing a potent plant-based protein source. But others tell us that it’s a central driver of breast cancer, thyroid problems, dementia, and environmental problems like deforestation. So what’s the truth? Is soy good for you? And what are the health and environmental consequences of consuming it? Here’s what you need to know about soy.