We’ve all been taught that a balanced diet is key to healthy living. A balanced diet is wholesome in all sense as it nourishes our body with all the essential nutrients required for being healthy and feeling happy.
Among all the nutrients, macronutrients are of paramount importance as these are responsible for maintaining the shape and structure of one’s body. Considering its importance, we cannot afford to deprive our bodies of any macronutrients.
Knowingly or unknowingly, we fail to fulfill the recommended intake of these macronutrients quite often, especially protein.
Lentils, colloquially known as dal in India, is a wonderful source of protein. If you have been skipping out on lentils in your diet you might be making a grave mistake.
In this blog, we give you 4 compelling reasons to make lentil a regular part of your diet.
Follow along.
1) One of the leanest sources of protein
It is no secret that proteins are the major building blocks of life. It is one of three macronutrients that plays a monumental role in contributing to our holistic development.
Despite being so important, protein is the most overlooked nutrient in the Indian diet.
As per the recommended dietary guidelines, an adult must consume 0.8 to 1 gm per kilo of his body weight.
However, Indians have consistently failed to comply with the guidelines. Indians consume an average of 0.5 gms protein per kilogram of body weight.
This puts India behind other Asian nations in terms of protein consumption.
A lot of people assume that consuming less protein isn’t a big deal and won’t cause any harm, though this is far from the truth.
The ill effects of protein deficiency has been extensively documented in several health journals and shows that it could lead to problems such as weak metabolism, insomnia, poor hair growth, etc.
Sounds scary, doesn’t it?
Well, if you are not aspiring to play the lead role of a deformed ghost then you need to seriously add some protein in your diet.
Lentils, popularly known as Dal in the Indian subcontinent, is one of the leanest sources of protein.
Being as good as any other source of meat based protein, it is a blessing for all vegetarians who constitute a large chunk of the Indian population.
2) Aids weight management
Now you would be wondering how lentils would help you with weight loss /management?
Well, the secret is high fiber content, which is a common feature among all the lentils.
Dietary fiber plays a key role in reducing low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol in the body. In addition to that, foods that score high on fiber have lower calories compared to the ones that have low fiber content.
They also tend to be more satiating, keeping your tummy full for a long time and fighting off your in-between meal cravings.
So, if you’re looking to shed some inches off of your waist or to maintain your already perfect body, a bowl of lentil would be of great help.
3) Reduces the risk of mineral deficiencies.
Besides being rich in protein, lentils are rich in other essential vitamins and minerals too.
Lentils are known to be rich in minerals such iron and folate which keeps your cells healthy enough for the repair and renewal process.
It reduces the risk of anemia, a condition caused due to lack of iron wherein there aren’t enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body further leading to severe diseases.
4) A cheaper alternative to commercial “Protein” powders.
The go to protein source of any health freak is “protein” powders.
Not only do they consume it but they endorse it enthusiastically as well.
These protein powders work for real, but are super expensive and not everybody can afford them.
The fun fact is these protein powders themselves are sourced from plant and dairy based products.
So, why not directly consume those products from which these powders are made?.
Lentils, one of the base products used in several protein powders, are a relatively cheaper source of protein and available in abundance.
So, if you don’t want to be an example of riches to rags story then stop spending on those expensive and commercial protein powders and switch to lentils instead.
Were these compelling enough? I am sure they were.
That’s it from our side guys. We’ll be back with a new blog shortly.
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