Legumes: how many times a week should we eat them?

I legumes they are foods with unique characteristics, but we often understand how to include them in our diet and How many times a week eating them is not immediate. They allow you to fill up on protein and other nutrientswhile being both tasty and versatile. Consuming the adequate amount of it requires, however, planning and the distinction between dry, fresh and frozen products has its weight.

Legumes unique foods

To understand how many times a week to eat legumes, you first need to know their characteristics. The category contains within it all those foods of plant origin that are presented in the form of semi enclosed in pods. These are a great source of protein and should be considered an essential part of a healthy diet.

Although legumes are unable to provide some amino acids very important for the proper functioning of the organism, they can be considered good substitutes for carne and fish or alternatives to eggs and cheeses in vegan diets. In meals, these vegetables should therefore play the role of main course, while they are often mistakenly considered simple side dishes, assimilating them to other vegetables. Their wealth of fibre, minerals e vitamins complete the picture.

How many times a week do you eat legumes?

As with any food, attention to consuming one also contributes to making legumes healthy amount appropriate. A portion standard is equivalent to 150 g of fresh or frozen product, or 50 g of canned vegetables. To reduce these values ​​in everyday life we ​​can say that it corresponds to 3-4 spoons of product in the first case, and about half dish In the second.

For those wondering how many times a week it is appropriate to eat legumes, the guidelines of the Italian Society of Nutrition they answer that they should be inserted in two/four meals. In Italiaalthough the data show a clear recovery of production and purchases compared to the past decades, the recommendation appears to be anything but respected. However, legumes dominate the scene boxwhich do not require soaking and lengthy cooking processes.

What legumes to eat?

Once you understand how many times a week you should eat legumes, figure out which ones variety exploiting so as not to find ourselves consuming the same foods over and over again is crucial. Actually ours options they are many. THE beans they are rich in group B vitamins, folate and iron and, to better absorb the latter, it is advisable to consume them in combination with sources of vitamin C. I ceci they have the highest protein content and are perfect combined with sources of carbohydrates such as cereals.

The lentils they are, then, a good synthesis of the merits of the two cousins, while i peas they provide vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium and folic acid. The fave, on the other hand, are excellent for purifying the body and are a panacea against anemia. The edamame finally, they help us to fill up on omega 3 fats and green beansoften little considered, are a source of water and vitamins.

Clarified how many times a week it would be necessary to eat legumes and how many possibility offers nature, focus on how prepare them represents a must. These vegetables are excellent both served fresh saladsboth as protagonists of hot soups. They can then form the basis for hamburger e meatballsor become tasty antipasti in the form of humus.