Thursday, October 16, 2008

Meatless chili with lentils and an article on the health benefits of lentils




Health Benefits of Lentils





That lentils are rich sources of protein, we know. But they are also packed with an impressive array of health benefits we should really care for, instead of gobbling up multi-hued pills.

Antioxidants Lentils are one of the highest sources of antioxidants found in winter growing legumes.
Protein With over a quarter of their nutritional content made up of protein, lentils are a huge protein provider, giving the body what it needs to build new cells and repair any damaged tissues.
Diabetes Diabetics may be interested to know that the soluble fiber in lentils traps carbohydrates. This in turn slows digestion and absorption, which helps to prevent wide swings in blood sugar level throughout the day.
Cholesterol The soluble fiber in lentils also helps eliminate cholesterol, since it binds to it, reducing blood cholesterol levels. There is also evidence to prove that lentils can slow the liver’s manufacture of cholesterol, which similarly helps to reduce levels in the body.
Heart Disease The intake of dietary fiber, particularly from lentils has been known to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.




LENTIL CHILI




You wont be crying, "Wheres the beef?" with this delicious chili.





boil the lentils for about 5 minutes then put them in the crock pot with

1 can Tomato Sauce


1 can Tomato Paste


1 can kidney beans


1 can great northern beans


2 can (large) Bush's Chili beans


dust the whole top with chili powder and mix... then cook on high for 6 hours and dust again with powder and mix.
You can also use garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
And we serve it on a bed of Frito's corn chips with shredded cheese and sour creme.

4 comments:

Joyful Mama said...

That is tooo cute!!!
The recipe looks yummy!!!

Anonymous said...

I've never used lentils so I just don't know anything about cooking with them. Do you need to soak them overnight first? I actually was looking at a bag of them while shopping last week. I know they are healthful and I'm stocking up. They are an easy thing to stock but I didn't buy them as I'm not familiar with cooking with them. Now I'll grab a bag and make this - looks good :)

" Naturally Yours, by Neika" said...

Just follow what it says to do on the bag.;) I boiled mine for 5 min then just poured off the water and threw them in the crockpot to cook all day. That's it.

~Miss Priss~ said...

rotfl @ riah