The Cook's Thesaurus defines a legume as a plant with pods that have "tidy rows of seeds inside." This category of plants includes includes beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts. Generally, however, we refer to the dried seed as a legume. MayoClinic.com urges people to eat more legumes, because they high in nutrients and fiber with very little fat.
Protein
Most legumes are very high in protein. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional database, one cup of cooked, unsalted lentils has 17.86g of protein. Dried peas have 16.35g and black beans have 15.24g. Other types of dried beans have approximately the same amount as black beans.
Minerals
Legumes also provide a wealth of minerals. For example, the USDA Nutrition Database reports that one cup of cooked, unsalted lentils provides 6.59g iron, 71mg magnesium and 731mg potassium.
One cup of cooked, unsalted split green peas contains 71mg magnesium, 710 mg potassium and 27 mg calcium.
Black beans provide 46 mg calcium, 611 mg potassium and 120 mg magnesium. Values for other dried beans are approximately the same as black beans.
Vitamins
While legumes are not a great source of vitamins, they do have a substantial amount of folate, also known as vitamin B-9. The USDA Nutrition Database says that one cup of cooked unsalted lentils, split green peas or black beans have 358, 127 and 256 micrograms of folate, respectively.
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