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The goodness of legumes
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| Fava beans, red and white beans, soy beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas are all rich sources of nutrition, playing a crucial role in any healthy diet. Traditionally associated with poorer, humbler diets, legumes actually constitute essential components of any healthy, well-balanced nutritional regime. A portion of legumes and cereals, for example, contains as much protein value as an equal amount of meat. A classic dish of pasta with beans or chickpeas, followed by a generous serving of fresh vegetables represents a complete, wholesome meal. An ideal dietary option for people suffering from cholesterol problems who have to avoid meat because of the saturated fats it contains. |
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Legumes can be introduced into our diet as least three times a week as a substitute for meat. It's important, however, to serve them along with pasta, which is able to make up for any shortages and complete the chain of amino acids that are so essential for maintaining a healthy organism. There are ten essential amino acids that serve as the building blocks for proteins. Some are found in pasta, but not in legumes, and vice versa. Together, though, they create a winning team, offering a full spectrum of amino acids and many other important benefits.
Being rich in raw fiber, legumes have a very positive effect in terms of intestinal stimulation. They play a fundamental role in weight-loss diets as they create a lasting sense of satiety while reducing the absorption of fats and sugars. They also happen to contain antioxidants, which serve to prevent premature aging of the body's cells, and starches which are absorbed very slowly, avoiding abrupt fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Legumes are also full of vitamins, especially the ones in the B group, indispensable for transforming food into energy. They are also rich in precious mineral salts, such as iron and magnesium, which prevent drops in energy levels and mood swings. Legumes are also excellent for preventing constipation, hemorrhoids, and attacks of appendicitis, diverticulosis and varicose veins. Plus, thanks to their abundance of potassium, mineral salts and fiber, they help prevent gall-stones and cancer of the colon.
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Legumes contain certain toxic elements that have a negative effect on red blood cells and tend to cause indigestion, fermentation and unpleasant intestinal gas. This is why it's so crucial to know how to cook them correctly. It's essential to cook legumes for a long time so that the heat is able to breakdown the harmful enzymes. Fresh legumes cook in just thirty to forty minutes, whereas the dried ones, rich in proteins and mineral salts, require a more complicated procedure. Once they have been soaked for at least eight hours, during which time the water should be changed several times, they have to be thoroughly rinsed before finally starting the cooking process in cold, unsalted water.
Once legumes are cooked they can be used as ingredients in salads and stewed dishes prepared with herbs and vegetables or creamed in the blender to obtain excellent sauces for topping pasta dishes or providing a traditional base for hearty soups. You should never throw the cooking water out because it's brimming with mineral salts. Toward the end of the cooking process, dieticians advise adding anti-fermentation herbs, such as thyme, oregano and a few cloves, a combination that goes together very nicely, or a teaspoon of cumin seeds, rich in an oil that inhibits the fermentation of starches.
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Beans: They contain a high percentage of protein and starch and are also an excellent source of fiber, of both the soluble and insoluble varieties. They also provide a fair amount of calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium, as well as vitamins from the B group, although the benefits of the iron are counteracted by the presence of phytic acid, which bonds with the calcium in the intestine, leading to demineralization. The negative effects of this acid, however, can be reduced by proper soaking and boiling. The kinds of beans grown in Italy are the Borlotto (a fat round bean), Canellino (an oblong white bean), the Spagna bianco (a large white bean), the Toscanello (a small white bean) and the Lamon. Other than in terms of flavor and appearance, there are no real perceptible differences between one type and another. When possible, however, you should always opt for the dry versions, which are much richer in protein, starches and fiber. The large, sweet ones are perfect for warm or cold salads. The Borlotti are very tasty in stews, soups and one-dish meals made from cereals. The Canellini are very good in stewed dishes together with onions and tomatoes or in salads with anchovies, baby onions and pepper.
Chickpeas: Chickpeas contain an abundance of manganese and small amounts of iron, folic acid and various vitamins. If dried they also contain a fair percentage of potassium and phosphorus. Compared with other types of legumes, they require a longer cooking period, approximately 90 minutes in a normal pot, 60 in a pressure cooker. There is one just variety of this bean and, in addition to the famous pasta ai ceci (pasta with chick peas), they are also great in mixed-cereal soups, croquettes and salads. Arab hummus is famous: a purée of chickpeas blended together with ice, garlic and creamed sesame seeds.
Peas: Peas are the only legumes that are eaten before they are completely mature. For this reason they contain less protein than the other legumes, but they are higher in vitamin C. They are also rich in vitamin B and folic acid. As a matter of fact, just 65 grams of peas is enough to cover one quarter of our daily requirement of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and a third of our daily requirement of thiamin (vitamin B1). The smaller, tenderer peas are perfect for pasta and vegetable salads. When fresh the larger ones can be used for stewed dishes along with tomatoes, or sautéed with saffron and other spices, depending on personal preference. For a pea purée, on the other hand, it's best to use dried split peas that have been boiled.
Lentils: Of all the legumes, lentils are the richest in starch and, in addition to providing iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur and copper, they also contain a small amount of vitamin A. They are more easily digested than beans, although they contain high levels of purine, making them unsuitable for people who suffer from hyperuricaemia and gout. You can use red lentils to prepare a purée to serve as either a first course or side dish. Green lentils contain a small amount of selenium, very useful in terms of preventing premature aging of the body's cells, and they are best suited for pasta dishes, both pasta in broth or pasta topped with a sauce. Boiled or blended, both the red and green varieties can be used to prepare delicious croquettes and pâté.
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