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Question about lentils


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I'm nearing the end of my Whole30 and I'm starting to think about which foods to reintroduce into my diet one at a time. I think I'm going to start with rice. And then I'd like to try lentils.

Of all the non-Whole30 foods out there, what would you say are the least problematic (in general - acknowledging that every person is different)?

This is the one piece of paleo eating that doesn't make much sense to me: Lentils are very low glycemic and contribute a tremendous amount of fiber to the diet. Can someone share why they stay away from lentils? This will be helpful before I get on my 2-wheeler :)

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Jillian - it's not necessarily the glycemic load that makes lentils (and other legumes) problematic. Legumes (like lentils) contain lectins which are toxins. Their purpose is to prevent other creatures from eating them. It's a natural built-in defense mechanism. Lectins contribute to leaky gut which basically reduces your bodies immune functions and causes a whole host of problems. Lectins have also been shown to bind to insulin receptors contributing to insulin resistance so even if you think they're low on the glycemic index, their insulin effect is not a good one. The fiber in them is nothing you couldn't get from vegetables and the problems with them combined with relatively low nutritional value make them a poor choice.

The lectins are reduced by soaking, cooking, and fermenting but typically trace amounts of them remain and they're best avoided!

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Additionally, you really should keep in mind that there are VERY few foods not including in the Whole30 that you could ever make an argument are a good choice from purely a nutritional profile. The only one that immediately comes to mind is grassfed dairy.

One of Whole30/Paleo's biggest selling points is that it is full of the MOST nutrient dense-foods you can put into your body. Assuming you believe that, saying, "_____ is a good source of _____" is really a bad way to look at things when thinking about off-roading and/or adding old foods back in, because you will be hard-pressed to prove that you couldn't get a BETTER source of that nutrient within the approved food lists.

Personally, I've always treated the "adding things back in" phase as an experiment in, "what can I get away with?" acknowledging that sticking with whole30 foods is healthier, but that the trade-off of health vs. food enjoyment for certain things just isn't worth it for me. So I would really look at the foods you're thinking about a consider WHY you want to add them back in. I never added beans or lentils back in, because I really don't love them. I can live without ever having another kidney bean or chickpea, and I trust that I'm getting all the protein/fiber/etc from other sources. I DO love hummus, but a) it's way less fun without pita bread, and B) guacamole is better.

I added things back in the following way:

  • Dairy. I <3 cheese, and see above for the healthy reasons I mentioned above. (I can't do dairy for long bouts, or else my allergies act up, but that's just my experience.)
  • Rice
  • Honey/Maple Syrup
  • Booze (I was never a big drinker, so I didn't miss it)

Anyway, that's just me. Everybody's cost-benefit is different!

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thanks for the very helpful and thoughtful responses!

I was thinking about lentils not for nutritional reasons but for cost/sustainability reasons. I can have a bowl of lentil soup that will give me 25 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber and will keep me satiated for 5 or more hours for about $1. :)

I will definitely weigh the costs to my health and will look into some of the studies of soaking methods that reduce or nearly eliminate all lectins in lentils.

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  • 4 years later...

Renee Lee --- I really love your post above.  It really made a lot of sense to me --- the question of whether the trade-off of health vs food enjoyment is "worth it" for a particular food.  My husband and I finished our first W30 June 30 and are doing a very "slow roll" reintroduction.  But neither of us really missed very much and have felt wonderful eating only W30 complaint foods.  The only things I want to add back in on a somewhat regular basis are wine (on weekends only) and 80-85% dark chocolate (a tiny square maybe twice a week).  Other than that, I don't really want to add anything back.  But we are still slowly going through the "testing" phase just to see how our body reacts.  I can envision that on rare occasions, the enjoyment of eating a small scoop of vanilla ice cream after dinner on a date night would be worth it, but I can't imagine much else!  Anyway, thanks for your insights!  

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