Which pulses has more protein

As per a study conducted by the Journal of the American Heart Association , researchers concluded that those who were in the habit of consuming more plant-based foods such as pulses and lentils had a reduced risk of succumbing to cardiovascular diseases. Urad dal, also referred to as black gram is a crumbly and chewy lentil that is a powerful source of folate and zinc. More importantly, urad dal provides 12 grams of protein for every half cup. You can even have it in your Falafel and it tastes heavenly.

Green lentils, also known as split green gram, are basically moong dal with a green layer of skin covering it. The split and skinned green gram moong dal have a mustardy colour to it. These lentils provide 9 grams of protein with each half cup. Green lentils are also a powerful source of iron, something that women, in general, require to make up for all the iron that is lost during their menstruation cycles.

Moreover, the potassium content in moong dal is high even more than what is found in bananas. Meat aficionados swear by it as its texture is far better when compared to beans. For a snack, you could try making lentil patties, use it with your salad or make lentil walnut tacos as well. Also referred to as whole masoor dal in the Indian subcontinent, half a cup of brown lentils provide 9 grams of protein.

These lentils have a balmy, earthy aroma to it. It tends to get soft and mushy when cooked and is great for curries, stews, and dry gravies. Red lentils are known as masoor dal they are the split version of brown lentils and features in middle eastern as well as Indian cuisines quite often.

Since they turn soft when cooked, masoor dal is great for making curries and purees. Half a cup of red lentils contains 9 grams of protein. Masoor dal is also a rich source of sodium , potassium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin C.

This dal is perfect for people who are looking to lose weight and are of a mind to consume food that is low in fat. Dietary changes and health transition in South Africa: implications for health policy. Cape Town: MRC; Venter CS et al. Skip to content Articles. Pulses have various nutritional benefits: Pulses are a low fat source of protein. On average, pulses contain about twice the amount of protein found in whole grains like wheat, oats, barley or rice.

Pulses have a low glycemic index. Pulses are very high in fibre, containing both soluble and insoluble fibres. Regular consumption of soluble fibre has shown to decrease cholesterol and control blood sugar. Insoluble fibre helps with digestion and regular bowel movement. Pulses contain essential vitamins and mineral. Key minerals include iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc. Pulses are particularly abundant in B vitamins such as folate, thiamine and niacin and various essential amino acids, including lysine.

Pulses can help lower blood cholesterol and attenuate blood glucose, which is a key factors in against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Eating pulses as a replacement to some animal protein also increases the intake of fibres Table 1.

Pulses have been shown to be helpful in the prevention of certain cancers, mainly because of their fibre content Table 1 , but also because of their vitamin, mineral and amino-acid contents. Women suffering from anaemia are advised to take pulses as they are rich in iron. Children are advised to consume pulses combined with foods rich in Vitamin C, which helps in the absorption of iron. Some nutritionists suggest consumption of pulses combined with cereals, as they enhance the protein quality in the pulses.

It is, however, richer in lysine. Mostly grown in rain-fed areas, pulses production in the country is highly influenced by weather conditions besides farmer sentiments. Another barometer is market prices. If the prices rule high one year, the following year more acreage comes under pulses, and all going well the production increase.

This is borne out by production trends in the last several years. In the year , the production of pulses was about million tonnes. However, witnessed a massive jump to million tonnes for the next three years. Poor rainfall in reduced production to about million tonnes. High prices and good monsoon in the following year, again led to a sharp jump in production to around million tons. The high growth trend of is continuing so far.

India is still to gain self-sufficiency in all varieties of pulses. One of the reasons is the huge gap between demand and production and pulses production, which has failed to match the increase in population.