"Just add beans, pulses and lentils"

[Hagrod]

I am sick of hearing this advice given when food poverty is being discussed!

"Just add beans, pulses and lentils to all your meals, they will give you the protein you need to spread expensive meat and fish further [ad infinitum]."

Like many other people, I do not have packets of beans, pulses and lentils nestled at the back of my cupboards just waiting for the day I am so starving I need to add them to a bowl of soup. I would have to go out and buy them, I assume they are not given away for free.

I just think it's such a cliched piece of advice that has been meted out to 'the peasants' for decades now and I wish they'd stop it.

It is patronising.
It is rich Tory Ministers advising people to put a jumper on or only heat one room.

I haven't looked at all the recipe suggestions so couldn't say, but it's certainly true that for those in food poverty who have cooking facility access and others who may need cheap healthy recipes, things like dhal tick that box. Dietary requirements notwithstanding obv.

Honestly they don’t. I post recipes on my instagram and share at a slimming club and the questions I get really shock me. I’m nearly 50 though with a mum and grandma who cooked.

Well for some of us it's advice that comes from our experience of struggling, and being grateful to have received such tips because we found they helped.

Just because some people are homeless and can't afford to use a microwave doesn't mean there aren't struggling families with a working cooker who need to stretch their money further to reach the end of the month who might find such tips useful.

my best curries are chicken and chickpea
i have been doing this since my dc were little

Most of the world relies on pulses. I don't understand what's so tragic about the suggestion. There's such a variety of pulses, they're so cheap and so so versatile.
Yes it's not nice to be struggling, but it is a very sensible suggestion. You don't have to do it...

The downside is the amount of gas they produce in your gut. It can be relentless for a good while after eating them, well at least it is for me, so I don't use them very often. Too uncomfortable.

I have a pot of potato, carrot and mixed bean soup on the hob as we speak. Smells delish but we shall see what the fallout is! I found the tin while doing a cupboard clear out yesterday.

I make loads of vegetable curries. But I am not in foodbank territory.

Like many other people, I do not have packets of beans, pulses and lentils nestled at the back of my cupboards

Has it occurred to you that these staples are available in shops, for you to buy & store in your cupboard?

I was thinking exactly this..."it flares my IBS" well, have a think about that.

People should not eat meat every day. Jeeze.

A lot of the world uses firewood to cook on, not expensive electricity or gas.

So?
Dried red lentils take 20 mins. A tin of beans takes seconds to heat up. Still significantly cheaper than meat. And healthier and better for the planet.

Sensible advice. YABU. If you don't like them or can afford to just have the meat, fine, but those doing the advising are talking to the whole country not just you. And of course they are not free but they are very cheap compared to meat, especially lentils which cook quickly and don't need soaking. If you don't have nay or haven't tried it why not buy some and give it a go? They are also good for you. It is just advice. Take it or leave it but no point getting huffy.

Lidl does some nice microwaveable pouches of pulses with flavours in

Its good advice but as with any tight budget - you need to plan your meals and what you buy.

If you buy and eat ad hoc you won't have a pot of ready soaked beans to go into a chilli. If you buy canned pulses then you can be a bit more cavalier about planning. You may also need to add some new recipes or learn to cook with them as you would with any other unfamiliar ingredient.

I love them. Great advice imo. They are generally cheap and easy to store

chickpea, sweet potato and spinach (frozen) curry - add turmeric halloumi if being fancy

red lentils into vegetable soup - uses up leftover root veg and toddler eats. Good protein source. No soaking

black bean quesadillas

chickpea salad - tin chickpeas, salad veg, lemon juice for basic no cook 5 min lunch

I always add butterbeans to sausage casserole. Reduces our meat consumption, and allows for toddler size leftover for next day lunch.

They're cheap, healthy and filling. No one said they were given away for free and I assume you're able to go out to a shop, so no need for them to already be in your cupboard.

Just wondering, is the gas problem so bad if you liquidise a bean or pulse soup? Does this break down the fibre somewhat?

I think soaking beforehand definitely helps, even split peas or red lentils.

It works for some dishes sure, but it can ruin others - you need some basic cooking skills. I can't imagine adding chick peas to bolognese, for example - that sounds grim.

I add lentils to lamb in shepherd's pie, which is fine, but if you add too many, it drowns the lamb and there's barely any point having meat in it! I always weigh them to get a balance. For some meals it's nicer to just allow meat to be the star, and then have a veggie meal the next day.

Putting on a jumper and not heating empty rooms is good advice for fuel economy and long predates the fuel crisis.

Anyone who doesn't want to burn money and add to carbon emissions should be doing this.

I add red lentils to pasta sauce as well as all sorts of veg that my grandchildren won't normally eat, then blitz it with a liquidiser, so they cant tell what is in it. I find adding sweet potato makes it more to their taste too.

Just wondering about the chickpea salad?
Is it basically a tin of chickpeas, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and lemon juice?

Why is it that when any advice is given on MN about food, money management etc there are posters who come along to insist that because the advice isn’t applicable to the absolute poorest in society then it’s just not good advice at all?

I mean what is it people expect? Most are not and never will be living with no means whatsoever of buying or cooking food. It’s awful that anybody is in that situation but it’s not representative of the majority of the population so why on earth do some posters imagine that your average MNer is going to have some magic solution?

For the vast majority of people who want or need to reduce their spending on food then using more beans, lentils etc is actually good advice. No, it won’t suit everybody’s dietary requirements, tastes or circumstances but MN is not a tailored advice service and posters are not obliged to have the answers to everyone’s specific issues. It’s general advice, usually offered where posters have asked for it and by people who are actually trying to be helpful.

It is deeply patronising advice because people will already be putting jumpers on and only heating one room, if they heat any at all.
Rich people like to give poor people advice to make themselves feel better, but not to actually help anyone.

@AbsolutelyNebulous Did you miss the OP was talking about food poverty? Not just ways to save a bit more money.