Recipes - Recettes

Click on the image above to open the recipe database! See also recipe sheets below that you can print off.

Cliquez sur l'image ci-dessus pour voir les recettes! Voir aussi recettes ci-dessous pour imprimer.

Why Eat More Pulses?

Pulses, or beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas, offer many nutritional advantages which make them suitable for a healthy diet. They provide almost twice the amount of protein than cereal grains, have high levels of dietary fibre, as well as important vitamins and minerals and contain virtually no fat. Many health organizations recommend pulse consumption for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases. The USDA Dietary Guidance recommends consuming 3 cups of beans (pulses) per week. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends eating beans and lentils more often. Research studies have demonstrated that regular pulse consumption can increase feelings of fullness and control appetite, lower blood cholesterol levels, improve blood glucose control, and reduce risk of some cancers.

In addition to their nutrient density and health benefits, pulses are an economical food choice and can be used for many different food applications. Pulses and flours made from pulses do not contain gluten meaning they are suitable for people who cannot digest this protein that is found in wheat. Pulses are also an important part of vegetarian diets because they contain a high amount of protein. Plant sources of protein do not require as much energy to produce as compared to animal protein which is good for the environment. Growing pulses in rotation with cereal crops is also good for the environment since pulse crops do not require nitrogen containing fertilizers which release nitric oxide, a greenhouse gas. Lentils and split peas are the "convenience" pulses because they require cooking times similar to rice, etc. Other pulses can be pre-cooked and frozen or cooked in a pressure-cooker to increase the convenience. Proper preparation and cooking of pulses, however, is important to optimize their taste, texture, and nutritional properties.

Please see tasty recipes and photos in PDF format. In addition, the attached Guide to Cooking Pulses will walk you through all the steps you need to know, from purchasing pulses to preparing them. Finally, you can find more recipes in our Pulse Recipe Database. Enjoy!