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What Are Food Pulses? And 5 Ways To Eat Them

July 15, 2016 by Lindsay 7 Comments

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What are pulses- food in your diet? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet. 

What are pulses? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet.

*Originally published 2016. Updated 3/2023*

Hi friends!

I’m putting on my Registered Dietitian hat today to share a little bit about a powerful little group of foods that you may not be super familiar with. 20 16 was the International Year of Pulses with the goal of teaching people what they are and share the many benefits of pulses, including their nutritional profile, environmental and sustainability benefits, affordability and potential to address global food security.

What are pulses food?

So what are they? Pulses are a term that encompasses dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils. They’re a great source of protein and fiber and are rich in important nutrients like iron, potassium and folate. They’re also gluten-free and cook just as quickly as things like pasta and rice! Added bonus? Pulses are very budget-friendly and also have a low carbon footprint. 

They’re great for making vegetarian dishes and can also easily be used to replace meat in meat-based dishes or simply added to recipes for an additional nutrient boost. I wanted to give you guys a few simple ideas on ways you can add more pulses to your diet!

5 Simple Ways To Eat More Pulses (food)

What are pulses? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet.

Chickpea Pulses

1) Eat more hummus! You guys know I’m a fan of this chickpea spread that can easily be found at the grocery store (or made at home!) in a variety of flavors. If snacking on it with veggies for dipping isn’t your thing, try adding a smear to your next sandwich, wrap or burger or mixing some into your tuna salad. Pro tip- mixing salsa and hummus makes a great dressing for pasta salad!

Try these recipes to start:
Curried Tuna Salad with Apples
Summer Chicken Wraps 
Hummus Collard Wraps
Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Hummus Pasta

What are pulses? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet.

Bean Pulses

2) Add beans to dips and salsas. I love adding black beans and white beans to kid-friendly dips for my kids to eat. Or making a bean-based dip for an appetizer or snack!

Try these recipes to start:
4 Kid-Friendly Dips 
Mexican Layer Dip
White Bean Dip with Avocado
Cowboy Caviar

What are pulses? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet.

Pea Pulses Protein

3) Try Pea Protein. You can easily swap it for whey protein in smoothies, energy balls, etc.

Try these recipes to start:
Chocolate Pea Protein Shake
Almond Chia Recovery Smoothie
Peanut Butter Coconut Protein Bites

What are pulses? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet.

Pulses Food Baking

4) Use pulses in baked goods -either whole or as flour. I’ve made my Quinoa Breakfast Bars with chickpea flour several times and they turn out great! You can also make desserts like brownies using black beans.

Try these recipes to start:
Quinoa Breakfast Bars
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
Chickpea Flour Banana Bread

What are pulses? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet.

Pulses Food Dinner

5) Add them to soups and casseroles! Pulses make the perfect addition to both meat and vegetable-based soups and casseroles. They’re also great for making vegetarian burgers and meatballs.

Try these recipes to start:
Ribollita
White Chicken Chili
Lentil Veggie Macaroni & Cheese 
Asian Black Bean Burgers


I hope this gives you a few new ideas!

What are pulses? Learn more about the nutritional benefits of dried peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils and get ideas for how to add them to your diet.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

PS…If you’re feeling adventurous, grab a bag of lentils and sprout them!

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Filed Under: Baking, Dinner, Snack, Sponsored Tagged With: Black Bean, Chickpea, Great Northern Beans, Lentils

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. dixya @food, pleasure, and health says

    July 15, 2016 at 12:11 PM

    i love pulses and lentils…so this post is so dear to me 🙂

    Reply
  2. Jody - Fit at 58 says

    July 15, 2016 at 2:29 PM

    Very interesting! I did not know that!

    Reply
  3. Liz says

    July 15, 2016 at 2:46 PM

    Good to know! I make a ton of hummus and love lentils, too! I need to work a few more pulses into my life!

    Reply
  4. Stephen says

    July 18, 2016 at 6:23 PM

    Lindsay,

    Never really heard of pulses until this post. I’ve definitely eaten them but thank you for shedding more light onto them. Would you recommend using pulses instead of meat in some dishes that are typically meat based?

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      July 19, 2016 at 9:20 PM

      absolutely! a great swap!

      Reply
  5. Jenn P&c says

    July 26, 2016 at 7:56 PM

    Aw thanks for including me doll! These all look beyond drool-worthy!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Ginger Peach Mango Lassi + More Healthy Living Tips says:
    May 23, 2017 at 12:46 AM

    […] You probably know by now {from these recipes} that I’m a HUGE fan of Pulses. If you’re a fan too {or want to learn more about adding more pulses to your diet}, you’ll love this post from Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean Blog–> What are Pulses? And, 5 Ways to Eat Them […]

    Reply

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Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

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