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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"Just add beans, pulses and lentils"

488 replies

Hagrod · 19/10/2022 13:49

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.

OP posts:
Tabbouleh · 21/10/2022 07:44

SallyWD · 21/10/2022 07:35

I can't see what post you're referring to but pulses do reduce the risk of bowel cancer (and probably other cancers), also good for gut flora, reducing blood sugar etc.

Show quote history

The post upthread where a poster appears to be claiming they increase the risk of cancer. Sorry cba to quote.

I don't need to be convinced about eating pulses. I eat them daily:) As does my whole family. And don't fart.
.

Applesandcarrots · 21/10/2022 07:45

Stankonia · 21/10/2022 07:43

Cancer research and the NHS have got their websites all the wrong way around. They tell you to increase pulses and limit meat to avoid bowel cancer. They should really read fool 's posts.

Tsk. They should read mumsnet more

Marikali · 21/10/2022 08:04

red lentils are very cheap and cook really quickly, we have them in soup every day through winter. yabu, it's super good advice. Nourishing and inexpensive.

Tort · 21/10/2022 08:17

Claiming that eating too little meat gives you bowl cancer might be peak mumsnet for me.

Lilacsunflowers · 21/10/2022 08:38

Sure, some people will tolerate them and good for them and lucky if it is also their preferred diet, but most won't. Bowel cancer is now one of the top four cancers in the UK, pancreatic cancer one of the least treatable/curable.

What?!

Bowel cancer caused by eating lentils?!Confused

Cactusmad · 21/10/2022 09:44

Lots of people are eating beans, the tinned baked type. Not many have issues with them. Maybe due to seeing them as normal parts of the British diet. I ate butter beans as a kid , totally basic food then . Also amazing out of the tin cold.

VeganStar · 21/10/2022 09:58

I prefer tinned green lentils. The flavour isn’t as strong as the red ones that come in a packet. I hate the flavour of those.
I also add tinned black beans to chilli again milder flavour than red kidney beans. My all time favourite that I add to everything is tinned sweetcorn… Chilli, curry, bolognaise, stir fries.Good job they love it at mine.

Cactusmad · 21/10/2022 10:49

There are plenty to choose from, black beans are high in calcium. All are a great source of fibre and thicken soups or stews really easily. I’m in the love camp but I was given them from being young so don’t consider them different.

Ifeelsuchafool · 21/10/2022 10:53

But we are eating less meat than we used to, even us omnivores, and yet cancers of the digestive tract are increasing. There's a difference between increasing veggies and fruit and fish and decreasing meat = good for us, and trying to replace ALL protein sources with plant based proteins which are just not as concentrated and so need to be taken in much greater quantities than most humans can tolerate = bad for many of us. Nothing is as black and white as some of the most evangelical vegans would like us to believe!
We don't need the amount of protein that our ancestors did as we lead far more sedentary lives for the most part but still, getting the amount of protein we need from pulses and legumes would involve eating far more volumes of them than most people can easily tolerate. Don't even get me started on the heavily processed soya, "meat" substitutes because highly processed foods of all kinds are the very worst!
I eat meat four days a week and have a wide variety of veggies in my life all of which I enjoy but eat raw for the most part or lightly steamed. I have one totally veggie day and two pescatarian days.
I never said an overload of meat was good for us any more than a purely vegan diet is. I simply advocate, for those of us who still like meat, for a return to eating the whole of a beast when we kill one and not balking at the "gory" bits. Like most things in life, it's all about sensible balance.

Applesandcarrots · 21/10/2022 10:55

Ifeelsuchafool · 21/10/2022 10:53

But we are eating less meat than we used to, even us omnivores, and yet cancers of the digestive tract are increasing. There's a difference between increasing veggies and fruit and fish and decreasing meat = good for us, and trying to replace ALL protein sources with plant based proteins which are just not as concentrated and so need to be taken in much greater quantities than most humans can tolerate = bad for many of us. Nothing is as black and white as some of the most evangelical vegans would like us to believe!
We don't need the amount of protein that our ancestors did as we lead far more sedentary lives for the most part but still, getting the amount of protein we need from pulses and legumes would involve eating far more volumes of them than most people can easily tolerate. Don't even get me started on the heavily processed soya, "meat" substitutes because highly processed foods of all kinds are the very worst!
I eat meat four days a week and have a wide variety of veggies in my life all of which I enjoy but eat raw for the most part or lightly steamed. I have one totally veggie day and two pescatarian days.
I never said an overload of meat was good for us any more than a purely vegan diet is. I simply advocate, for those of us who still like meat, for a return to eating the whole of a beast when we kill one and not balking at the "gory" bits. Like most things in life, it's all about sensible balance.

But this thread is about adding pulses to meat, not going vegan.
It's about costs here.

Applesandcarrots · 21/10/2022 10:56

Honetsly, anti vegans are equally annoying as vegans😂

seetzeros · 21/10/2022 10:58

@ClaraThePigeon thank you for the Aldi tip on black beans. I had to search the shelf but I found them. Three cans purchased and £1.50 saved compared to Morrison. That’s your good deed for the day done!

Redkettle · 21/10/2022 11:03

We don't add them to meals we make meals out of them. Lentil bolognaise, cottage pie etc. So cheap and filling and kids love them.

Ifeelsuchafool · 21/10/2022 11:13

Yes and all I was saying was that I can't really add them much as they don't agree with me and, in addition I find them most unpleasant. But I do agree that the tinned green lentils are better than the red ones you get in packets, I really can't abide them! And pointing out that for a significant minority of us, they can cause serious problems digesting. And I"m not just talking about farting a lot! So "hiding" them in casseroles etc. as one person I thin advocated, is not a nice thing to do. Oh and I forgot, whoever it was made some sly remark about me only using black pepper and salt, no I use a wide variety of herbs but few spices, it's true. But salt?!! Mercy me, it's one of the worst things for you! Not on my table! Not on my watch! Grin
I may have wandered off topic in my first post. Thank you for pointing that out. Apologies.

pocketvenuss · 21/10/2022 11:28

You you always feel resentful of suggestions that require you to actually buy foods and not just magic them up?

BeanieTeen · 21/10/2022 12:12

I think if you’re literally on the breadline - so if your cupboards are empty and you just have a couple of quid to buy something that day, then finding the right food is really tricky. But if you don’t have a lot of money, but still enough for a decent weekly shop and looking for a way to plan ahead and not spend again, things like lentils and pulses are great - and it’s not like you’re compromising taste or quality or nutrition here. You can make a massive Dahl or bean chilli, and have three or four meals there for a pretty large family - pop it in the freezer, u you ok have a meal to take out for the coming weeks, you just need to microwave it so it doesn’t even require spending money on using the cooker or oven.
I’m an ideal world of course people shouldn’t feel the need to supplement or swap foods. But loads of people already save money this way - not because they are really struggling but because they want to save for a big holiday or afford other extra perks, or just for ethical reasons. Its not demeaning to eat lentils FFS - it’s not ‘peasants food’ it’s just regular cooking ingredients. So if you are really struggling and haven’t caught on to this then I think it’s a sensible thing for people to point out.

BeanieTeen · 21/10/2022 12:15

But we are eating less meat than we used to, even us omnivores, and yet cancers of the digestive tract are increasing.

Is there an award up for grabs for best made up fact of the day?

LittleSisterLeavingTown · 21/10/2022 12:17

Well, if you add dried beans, pulses, lentils… directly to your soup they will probably poison you. They need to be soaked overnight and then boiled for several hours. Given the rising cost of fuel I wonder how economical this actually is?

ChaosDemon · 21/10/2022 12:24

LittleSisterLeavingTown · 21/10/2022 12:17

Well, if you add dried beans, pulses, lentils… directly to your soup they will probably poison you. They need to be soaked overnight and then boiled for several hours. Given the rising cost of fuel I wonder how economical this actually is?

What? Confused

I've just got my dried green and red lentils out of the cupboard to check this. Neither suggest soaking, just boil on the hob for 10mins, then simmer with the lid on for 15mins.

I actually cheat and put them in water in the microwave until they're the right texture which is cheaper... If I'm making a bolognese/stew with them in, I'll boil them separately for 10 then just chuck them in the dish to finish. No poisoning involved!

BeanieTeen · 21/10/2022 12:38

@ChaosDemon you don’t need to soak lentils, just dried beans. Lentils go straight into soup or dahl or whatever you are cooking - I haven’t poisoned anyone in my family yet!

Applesandcarrots · 21/10/2022 12:43

BeanieTeen · 21/10/2022 12:38

@ChaosDemon you don’t need to soak lentils, just dried beans. Lentils go straight into soup or dahl or whatever you are cooking - I haven’t poisoned anyone in my family yet!

Even beans don't need to be cooked for hours after soaking. Top tip. Add bit of bicarb.

What are people cooking with😳 stones?

Lilacsunflowers · 21/10/2022 14:05

Well, if you add dried beans, pulses, lentils… directly to your soup they will probably poison you. They need to be soaked overnight and then boiled for several hours. Given the rising cost of fuel I wonder how economical this actually is?

Firstly they don't need soaking.

Secondly, even if they did, how costly would it really be - a pot full of tap water?

Tabbouleh · 21/10/2022 14:13

I don't soak lentils. Just boil in a pressure cooker or Instapot. And yes I know many cant afford that. But they will pay for themselves.

ilovechocolate07 · 21/10/2022 14:45

I can afford food at the moment and my diet is full of beans, lentils and pulses to sub meat. You're missing out if you're not enjoying them imo. Plus, they're reasonably cheap and can buy tinned if you can't spare the energy cooking them.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 21/10/2022 15:02

I never soak lentils. They take 20 minutes or so.

Beans and chickpeas I do soak, and use the pressure cooker.