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by Vesanto Melina MS, RD
Our perceptions about diet and health have undergone remarkable
transformations during the past half-century.
Fifty years ago, the hot topics in nutrition were protein-calorie
malnutrition, deficiency diseases, and the recent discovery of the last
of the thirteen vitamins. Today, while under-nutrition continues to be a
tragedy for one in six humans, an equal number are overweight, and
one-third of these are obese.
In North America, our malnutrition is taking a peculiar form. We stuff
ourselves with calories, animal protein and fat, and supplements
containing whichever vitamin, mineral, or dried extract (powdered algae,
shark cartilage, or bee product) has made recent headlines. For many,
one fourth of our calories come from sugar and another 40 percent from
fat, much of that saturated and trans fats. Yet intakes of vegetables and fruits, the most nutrient-rich foods on
the planet, are sadly lacking.
Legumes have an amazing nutritional
profile, high in protein, low in fat, and rich in the fiber-containing
carbohydrates that help us to maintain our blood glucose. However, many
people would have trouble naming five legumes, and to use them in
creating a delicious meal is beyond comprehension. See if you can list
five legumes; then check the end of this article.*
What happens when we stuff ourselves with calories, yet build our diets
from non-nutritious foods? The outcome is evident in our medical clinics
and hospitals: cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, hypertension,
strokes, and obesity. Every part of our body is impacted when cells fail
to receive the hundreds of protective phytochemicals found in unrefined
plant foods. Our food choices are the key factor in reducing our risk
for these disabling diseases. How could it be otherwise?
For a tasty way to boost your intake of vegetables and legumes, try this
pasta sauce. It is made with red lentils, the fastest cooking of all
legumes; they cook in 20 minutes. The flavour develops best by simmering
for an hour or more. If your family is just getting used to legumes,
start with 1/2 cup of lentils; for added protein, use more.
Chunky Red Lentil Tomato Sauce
From Becoming Vegetarian by Melina and Davis (in the US,
The
New Becoming Vegetarian).
4 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, sliced diagonally
1 stalk broccoli, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, sliced or grated
28 oz can stewed tomatoes
28 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp. each, dried basil and oregano (or
2 tbsp fresh)
2 tbsp. tamari or Bragg Liquid Soy
2 tbsp. Cooking wine (optional)
2 tbsp. miso (optional)
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Chunky Red Lentil Tomato Sauce
divided into portions, frozen. |
Place all ingredients in saucepan or crock pot; stir. If using a
saucepan, bring ingredients to boil, then turn heat down and simmer
sauce for about an hour. If using crock pot, cook on low for six to
eight hours, or on high for about four hours. Serve with your favorite
pasta. Leftover sauce freezes well.
Makes 11 cups (six hearty servings). Per serving: calories 158, protein:
9 grams, fat: 1 gram, carbohydrate 34 grams, iron 2.7 milligrams,
calcium 113 mg.
If you would like to combine a springtime visit to the beautiful
Okanagan region in British Columbia with an informative, and inspiring
event related to nutrition and health, here’s a bargain. Attend the
Okanagan Health Forum that happens each year.
www.okanaganhealthforum.com.
You’ll have a chance to hear inspiring speakers from near and far.
One presenter who combines scientific expertise, motivation and glowing
health is dietitian Brenda Davis and co-author of
Becoming Vegetarian
(in the US, The New
Becoming Vegetarian)
and
Becoming Vegan;
Brenda
also is co-author of
Defeating Diabetes, and has been involved in
research about how lifestyle changes can reduce or eliminate the need
for medications in Type 2 Diabetes.
*Legumes are plant foods that grow in pods; they include:
Anasazi, black,
cranberry, kidney, lima, mung, navy, Great Northern, pinto, red and white beans;
garbanzo beans (chickpeas); soybeans; lentils and peanuts. |
