What is a legume? Any food that develops a seed pod that splits on both sides when it is in the legume food group. Grasses, alfalfa and clover are food legumes that are fed to animals because of their high nutritional value. Legumes are two times more protein than cereals; contain vitamin B and high iron content. These are foods that are easy for your digestive system and contain no cholesterol. We know them in our diet as lentils, peanuts, soybeans, beans and peas.
Prebiotics, which are a food supplement in the form of non-digestible carbohydrates that promotes the growth of undesirable microflora (plants that can be seen only under a microscope) in the large intestine, are found in legumes, as well as in bananas, asparagus, garlic, leeks, onions and sunchokes, the list goes on. Lentils are legumes have naturally large amounts of dietary fiber and Prebiotics. Instead of eating a lot of red meat in the diet that is very difficult for your body to digest you can get high amounts of iron and proteins to eat lentils, especially when you cook them together with foods that are rich in vitamin C such as tomatoes.
Unsweetened yogurt is an excellent prebiotic. As the legume, yogurt that has active ingredients or live list, especially if you added fiber, is a culture that does wonders for your intestinal bacteria. These are good bacteria that promote health and immunity. Unsweetened yogurt promotes the growth of these good bacteria that aid digestion. In addition to helping the intestinal track these foods can also help the body to absorb important minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
The following is a detailed list of legumes:
- Adzuki beans (Asian)
- Anasazi beans (southwestern cuisine)
- Black-eyed peas
- White beans
- Chickpeas or garbanzo beans
- Beans (snap or string)
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Mung beans (sprouted beans that can be transformed into pulp)
- Navy Beans
- Peas (dried or split)
- Pinto beans
- Soy beans
- Licorice (used to flavor or sweeten products such as sweets, beverages and medicine)
- Peanuts
Peanuts are legumes and are actually not technically nuts. They come from a Split pod and seed that is part of the legume family. The plant carry flowers there is a confusion of what family should be rated, the nut or legume. The name itself indicates that there is a confusion, pea-nut. Bottom line, is the peanut has the nutritional values of food legumes but is used in cooking as well as the flavor is nutty.