Beans, peas, lentils swallowed whole - how much nutrition?

[ThePequod]

I've done BLW with my DD (16mo) and she's not fond of meat so I give her pulses such as beans and lentils as a source of protein and iron.

The thing is (sorry if TMI) they tend to come out whole at the other end - obviously she just swallows them whole. She doesn't have many teeth yet.

How much nutrition can she actually get from something like a bean that travels through her system whole and therefore can't get broken down that much?

Thanks for any replies!

Probably hardly any, I would have thought. Maybe mash them up a bit (but not too much) so if the tough skins are broken I guess some nutrition will be gained. I love broad beans, which are large enough to take the skins off, but I don't know how easy they are come by these days.

Sweet corn is something that goes 'straight through' most people (certainly me!) and doctors use it to measure the 'transit time' I believe.

Thank you Ferguson - I know what you mean about sweetcorn! DD loves picking up the little round peas and lentils with her pincer grip but I guess I'll have to squish them a bit!

What about falafels & things like that, where the pulses are broken up a bit? Or hummus?

DS is 16 months & also trying to ensure he gets enough protein, fat, etc without overdoing it on cheese. He loves picking up peas too, unfortunately he loves it so much he turfs anything else out of the bowl looking for more of them!