25 Tips for Eating Healthier & Incorporating Pulses into Your Diet

1. Pulses are an excellence source of fiber.
2. Cook peas a day, week or month in advance—they can be frozen until you are ready to use them.
3. Pulses are a good source of protein.
4. Offer hummus as a baked potato topping in place of sour cream.
5. Peas and lentils are fat-free, chickpeas are low fat.
6. Offer seasoned or sauced lentils as a baked potato topping in place of butter or sour cream.
7. Puree’ cooked yellow split peas, season with oregano and red wine vinegar and use it as a bread dip.
8. Peas and lentils are sodium free, chickpeas are very low sodium.
9. A little meat goes a long way, add lentils to meatloaf, tacos, soups and chili.
10. Pulses are a good source of iron.
11. Crush lentils to make a healthy breading.
12. Pulses are a good source of folate.
13. Mix a pulse flour (pea, lentil or chickpea) with butter to make a flavorful roux to thicken a sauce or soup.
14. Lentils are a good source of potassium.
15. Make your own stuffing with: red lentils, sausage, garlic and onions and stuff squash, game hen or pheasant.
16. Pulses are low glycemic index/load ingredients food.
17. Pulses are a gluten free food.
18. You can make hummus out of peas, lentils or chickpeas, spread on crackers, pita bread or serve as a vege dip!
19. Pulses may be a great addition to meals for vegetarians and vegans.
20. Pulses are a cholesterol-free food.
21. Cooked pulses can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 4 to 5 days and can also be stored in the freezer for up to six months, freezing them may affect their texture when reheated.
22. Toss cooked chickpeas into salads, soups and stews for a nutty taste.
23. Use roasted pea flour in bread sticks or pizza crust to provide an excellence source of protein and fiber vs. traditional versions.
24. Pureed cooked peas and lentils work wonders in bread and muffin batters.
25. Lightly dust a chicken breast with chickpea flour to give it a beautiful pan-seared crust with just the right hint of nuttiness and gorgeous color.