Legumes: The Unsung, Unfancy, Simple "Superfood:" Why Beans, Chickpeas, and Lentils are Awesome

I think legumes are great. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are the oft-ignored superfood. They are a category of food that I talk about with my patients every day. Here is why.

• There are many options. Legumes include beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, and peas.

• Their taste can be enhanced with a variety of flavors. Legumes have a very mild flavor of their own, so they can be flavored with any type of herb, spice, or seasoning.

• Legumes are satiating. Meals that contain legumes are very filling and tend to keep you full for a while.

• Legumes are in a wide variety of dishes. Curries, soups, quesadillas, dips, chili, falafel, and tacos all have legumes.

• Legumes have great texture. Lentils are softer, chickpeas are firmer, and beans fall somewhere in between. Whatever your preference, there is a legume for that.

• Legumes are cheap. The cheapest way to purchase legumes is dried, but even cooked and canned legumes are priced low enough for daily use.

• Legumes can be quick. Canned legumes are already cooked, and dry lentils can be fully cooked in about 20 minutes, making these an easy base for a last minute dinner.

• Legumes are healthy. Eating legumes is linked to favorable cholesterol levels. They are high in fiber, contain protein, vitamins, and mineral.