Four portions of pulses a week (without getting bored)

Pulses have an image problem: they are associated with grandma’s cooking, long siestas and a certain amount of digestive artillery. And yet the official recommendations from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) ask for more, not less: at least four portions a week. With autumn here, it is the perfect time to catch up without eating lentils four times over.

What the recommendation actually says

In its healthy and sustainable dietary recommendations, AESAN proposes eating at least 4 portions of pulses a week, with the aim of eventually having them every day. It presents them as a fundamental part of the diet because they are an important source of protein, and adds two welcome arguments: they have a low environmental impact and they are affordable.

The reference portion is 50 to 60 g dry, or about 170 g cooked: in other words, a normal individual plate. No heroic quantities required.

Why they matter if you train

For anyone who trains, pulses are a two-in-one: they provide carbohydrates to top up the tank and plant protein to help recovery. They fit particularly well into the meal after a session, and if you have ever wondered what to eat after a run when you are short of time, a jar of chickpeas in the cupboard is a life-saver.

You know the catch: fibre. Every stomach is different, so use yours wisely. If you find them heavy, keep them for meals well away from training, and do not try a hearty stew just before a quality session. AESAN itself gives the key for anyone not used to them: increase your intake gradually so that they are well tolerated.

Recipe 1: brown lentils with pumpkin (4 portions)

Ingredients: 240 g of small brown (pardina) lentils (60 g per person), 300 g of diced pumpkin, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, a pinch of cumin, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, salt and water.

Gently fry the onion, pepper, carrot and garlic, all chopped, in the oil over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Take off the heat, add the paprika and cumin, stir and immediately add the rinsed lentils, the bay leaf and enough water to cover them generously. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, add the pumpkin and cook for another 15, until both lentils and pumpkin are tender. Season with salt at the end. It tastes even better the next day, so if there are leftovers, all the better.

Recipe 2: warm chickpea and mushroom salad (2 portions)

Ingredients: 340 g of cooked chickpeas (about 170 g per person), 200 g of sliced mushrooms, 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, half a red onion, 30 g of walnuts, the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, cumin and salt.

Sauté the mushrooms in a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil until golden. Add the drained chickpeas and a pinch of cumin and give them a couple of minutes to warm through. Off the heat, toss with the spinach (it wilts on its own with the heat), the finely sliced onion and the chopped walnuts. Dress with the rest of the oil, the lemon juice and salt. Fifteen minutes and you have a post-training meal with no excuses.

Recipe 3: burgers from leftover lentils (4 burgers)

This is the idea AESAN itself suggests for using up leftovers: blending cooked pulses and turning them into burgers or meatballs. Ingredients: 340 g of cooked lentils, very well drained, 60 g of rolled oats, 1 egg, half an onion softened in oil, 1 chopped garlic clove, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.

Blend half the lentils and mix with the rest left whole, the oats, the egg, the onion, the garlic and the spices. If the mixture is too soft, add a little more oats. Shape into four burgers, chill them in the fridge for 20 minutes so they firm up and cook them on a griddle with a drizzle of oil, about 4 minutes on each side. With wholemeal bread and a salad, nobody will miss the beef ones (well, almost nobody).

Your week, sorted

With these three recipes, the plan is ready: Monday, lentils with pumpkin (make a double batch); Wednesday, warm chickpea salad after training; Friday, burgers made with Monday’s lentils; and at the weekend, your household’s favourite hearty stew, the one you have already mastered. Four portions with no repeats and no battles in the kitchen.