Cook Your Meatless Monday Dinner on the Cheap With These 15 Lentil Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How much lentils to replace meat? ›

For every one pound of ground beef, you can substitute one cup of dried, uncooked lentils. One cup of dried lentils equals about two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils.

Lentils are a nutritious food that's low-fat and high in protein and fiber. While they make a delicious addition to a soup, stew or salad, you should not eat them raw. No matter which type of lentils you buy, you can easily cook them by boiling your lentils in water on the stove.

If you have a few root vegetables hanging out in your fridge, those are also great with lentils, like in this warm lentil and root vegetable salad with parsnips and carrots. Lentils are particularly nice with cheese, as in this grilled halloumi and lentil salad.

Think more like you're cooking pasta- you just need significantly more water than lentils. You can also use broth instead of adding an extra layer of flavor. I like adding a bay leaf, an onion cut in half, and a clove of garlic to add flavor to the lentils.

Pound for pound, raw lentils have more protein than steak. While not as protein-dense once cooked, they pack even more iron than meat, in addition to other vitamins and minerals. Fast to cook, easy to store and exalted enough to be buried with the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, these seeds have sustained empires.

Note that 1 pound (16 ounces) of dry lentils yields about 6 cups cooked (and ½ cup dry is about 1 cup cooked).

Lentils and beans are rich in soluble fiber, which is the single best carbohydrate to help you burn belly fat. "Soluble fiber forms a thick gel when it binds with water in the body," Tracy said. "This gel that forms therefore slows digestion in the body, which keeps you feeling full for longer!

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Thanks to the robust flavor, these lentils pair well with meaty veggies and marinated proteins like mushrooms, tofu, and seitan. Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

Lentils are rich in a type of fiber that helps your digestive system work as it should and fuels good bacteria in your gut. Fiber may also help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. “Fiber plays an important role in regulating our bowels and protecting the immune system,” says Homan.

Are Lentils a complete protein? No. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should try to eat a variety of legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains each day, which will allow you to get all the essential amino acids. All together, these equal complete proteins.

Should I eat lentils before bed? ›

Eat foods rich in sleep-promoting nutrients.

And magnesium-rich foods, like spinach, yogurt, nuts, beans, peas, and lentils, “may help enhance sleep,” Moore says, particularly if you're not meeting the required amount of hours.

Black Beluga lentils have the most flavor, adding a rich, earthy taste and a firm texture that holds up well during cooking. Black lentils will be ready in 20–25 minutes; however, they will fall apart like their brown, green, and red partners once you cook them for too long.

Cumin seeds or ground cumin helps with digestion and is perfect in a soup, curry or dal (lentil dish). Carom seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric and peppermint are other great digestive aids. Cooking beans with a large strip of dried kombu, a Japanese dried kelp, may minimise their gas-producing properties too.

Boil, then simmer

Once you've got your liquid and aromatics in, bring it all to a boil. Then immediately turn down the heat and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then continue to simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender.

Lentils are a nutritious food choice, low in fat and high in protein and fiber. However, for some people, these legumes may be bad due to the following reasons: When eaten raw, lentils and other legumes are dangerous because all beans, including lentils, contain lectins that can elicit unpleasant reactions.

Substitute Lentils for Ground Meat

With their tiny size and toothsome texture, green, brown, and black lentils are one of the easiest plant food swaps to make. The switch works for everything from sloppy joes to pasta sauce. Replace 1 pound of ground meat with 2 cups of cooked, drained lentils.

According to NPR, lentils are the second-most protein-packed legumes (soybeans are the first). Healthline reports that 1 cup of lentils has about 17 grams of protein. This means that you can easily swap out lentils for your preferred meat and not worry about missing out on your proteins.

Lentils are good source of protein. A ½ cup serving of cooked lentils provides about 12 grams of protein. With such high protein content, you are sure to be fuelled up all day long.

One 8-week study in 39 people with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes found that eating 1/3 cup (60 grams) of lentils each day increased levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and significantly reduced levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides ( 13 ). Lentils may also help lower your blood pressure.