What’s So Great About Pulses?

We’ve always been huge fans of lentils, chickpeas and beans at SPC. But Julian’s recent conversion to vegetarianism (more on that another time!) has made me want to add a few more pulse-oriented recipes to my roster. At this time of year, as the weather cools, it’s a perfect time to add more pulses to your diet; they’re an easy addition to soups, stews, dips and even burgers.

We love the flexibility that pulses offer as an ingredient. However, the main reason you’re going to want to pulse it up is for your health. Here’s our list of reasons you’ll be wanting to pick up some pulses on your next trip to the grocery store (because who doesn’t love a list?).

1. Pulses are low in fat, high in fibre, rich in complex carbohydrates and resistant starch make them nutritional powerhouses.
2. Adding pulses to a meal plan has been show to reduce levels of LDL-cholesterol levels.
3. Pulses are often recommended for people with diabetes because of their low glycemic index, meaning they do not spike blood sugars. It also means they’re great for kids as they help to keep blood sugar levels even as well as a long-lasting sense of satiety (so kids won’t ask for a snack 10 minutes after dinner).
4. The high protein found in lentils, chickpeas and beans are great for muscle building in kids, particularly those who eat plant-based diets.
5. Pulses are folate and iron rich so they’re perfect for avoiding anemia in adults and children.

All that nutrition and it’s packed into a low cost item at the grocery store, pulses just don’t give you many reasons to turn them down, do they? In fact, they’ve got so much going for them 2016 has been declared The International Year of Pulses! To make it easier to get into the habit of eating more lentils, chickpeas and beans, take the #PulsePledge and commit to eating pulses once a week for 10 weeks. You’ll receive lots of great recipes, learn more about these incredible ingredients and you might even win some prizes. Laura and I are doing it (we’ll definitely be eating them more than once a week!) and we hope you’ll join us.

This is a sponsored post, paid for by Pulse Canada but all the opinions in this post are our own.