Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar highlighted the importance of pulses in an instagram post.
Have at least 5 types of pulses/ legumes every week
Health enthusiasts are increasingly looking at alternative protein sources even as they try to stay away from meat, be it for environmental, ethical or economic reasons. And that is where pulses come into the equation. With pulses, one can easily enhance their diet quality. They provide protein, fibre, and are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, folate and magnesium. Making a solid case for the protein powerhouse is nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. In an Instagram pos, Rujuta highlighted the “3 rules for eating pulses”.
Here's what she said:
1) Soak and sprout before cooking.
2) Use right ratio of pulses and grains (1:3) / pulses and millets (1:2), in cooking.
3) Have at least 5 types of pulses/ legumes every week and in 5 different forms every month.
Then she went on to explain each of the rules in detail.
Rule 1. Soaking and sprouting them before cooking, to reduce the anti-nutrients and allow for optimum enzyme action to break them down.
Pulses are high in proteins, vitamins, and minerals, but it's not quite easy to assimilate the amino acids from them. They naturally contain anti-nutrients, which are molecules that prevent nutrients from being absorbed. That's why so many people experience gas, bloating, indigestion, and other digestive issues after eating them. As a result, your grandma came up with this way to reduce anti-nutrients while increasing protein, micronutrients, and digestibility in pulses and legumes.
Rule 2. Mixing them with millets and grains to improve their essential to non-essential amino acid ratio. The ratio is 1:3 when you use it with rice and 1:2 when you use it with a mixture of millets and grains.
The rationale behind this is that pulses and legumes lack an amino acid called methionine and grains lack lysine. Though lysine is found abundantly in pulses, without the full profile of other amino acids such as methionine it cannot carry out its functions. It aids in anti-ageing, prevents premature greying, preserves and strengthens bone mass, and helps in immunity by building antibodies.
Rule 3. Having a wide variety of pulses and having them in different forms to optimise intake of all nutrients.
India has more than 65,000 varieties of pulses and legumes. A wide range of pulses (at least 5 different types in a week) when eaten in different ways (dal, papad, pickle, idli, dosa, laddoo, halwa, etc.) ensures that we get the diet diversity needed for healthy gut bacteria.
Here's Rujuta Diwekar's post:
So, to ensure you are having a healthy and nutrient-rich diet, make pulses a part of your regular meals.
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