Lentil soup, curried lentils, lentil salads and veggie burgers with lentils are just a few of the ways you can enjoy cooked lentils. Lentils are legumes, along with beans and peas, and they are nutrient-dense foods that can support heart health as part of an overall balanced diet. Be sure to cook dried lentils before eating them to avoid symptoms of indigestion.
Calories, Fat and Protein
A cup of cooked lentils provides 230 calories. They are cholesterol-free and have less than 1 gram fat. Lentils are an excellent source of protein, with 18 g per cup. Some potential benefits from regularly choosing plant-based proteins instead of animal proteins, such as fatty meats and full-fat cheeses, include a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Beans, peas and soybeans are also good sources of protein.
Carbohydrates
Lentils have 40 g total carbohydrates per cup, including less than 4 g natural sugars. They have 15.6 g dietary fiber, which decreases cholesterol and may reduce your risk for heart disease, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The recommended amount of fiber is 14 g for each 1,000 calories that you eat, but the typical American gets less than one-half of this amount.
Folate
Cooked lentils provide 358 micrograms folate, or 90 percent of the daily value, per cup. Pregnant women and women who may become pregnant need to be sure to get adequate folate to prevent neural tube birth defects, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Folate is also necessary for a healthy heart because it works with vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6 to lower levels of homocysteine in your blood. High homocysteine increases your risk for heart disease.
Other Vitamins and Minerals
Iron is necessary for healthy red blood cells, and lentils provide 6.6 mg, or 37 percent of the daily value. They have 71 mg magnesium, or 18 percent of the daily value for magnesium, which allows proper muscle function. Lentils have 731 mg potassium and only 4 mg sodium, so they are good choices for a high-potassium, low-sodium diet to help you control your blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010 (PDF)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Legumes and Legume Products
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center: Folic Acid; Victoria Drake; September 2007
- MayoClinic.org: Meat-Free More Often: Alternate Protein Sources Promote Health; May 2010
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