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seeds, but legumes we eat in hot cooked dishes, never raw. Legumes, with the exception of
soybeans and peanuts, contain no fats. In that respect they resemble vegetables more than seeds.
Nutritionally, all legumes are high in protein and carbohydrates. The Table below shows
that most legumes contain between 20 and 25 percent protein. That is a very high range. Our
meats, in comparison, contain between 15 and 22 percent. Soybeans and peanuts are the only
legumes with fat, with 19 and 52 percent, respectively. (That translates to 22 and 59 grams in a
4-ounce or 113-g serving.) Legumes don't have many vitamins when compared to other
vegetables, but most of whatever they have they retain in cooking. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture has found that even when cooked a long time, legumes retain 70 to 90 percent of
their nutrients.
Although very nutritious, legumes don't provide complete protein for the human body.
When we eat them with complementary grain products—bread, rice or corn, for instance, they
provide a complete set of essential protein components, called amino acids, that our bodies
require.
Legumes are high in fibers that our bodies need for the smooth operation of the digestive
tract.
TASTINGS. Is beer nutritious?
Can we count beer as one of our daily grain meals of the Food Pyramid? After all,
brewers make beer from grain. It is a pity, but beer doesn’t count. Although beer
is made from grains that are high in proteins, it doesn't supply the proteins you
need because during fermentation the proteins in the grain are significantly
altered. Yet beer provides for your body’s pleasure needs.
Sprouting seeds change their original nutritional profile. Bean sprouts contain 3 to 5
times the vitamins of the original dry seed, but in absolute terms they still are not vitamin-rich
when compared to green vegetables. The protein content remains the same as in the original
unsprouted from, but the carbohydrates (and oil in soybeans) decrease because the growing plant
embryo uses them for energy. Except for the protein they contain, sprouts are not very nutritious.
But they are great additions to salads and stir-fries for their texture, flavor and appearance.
Legume Nutrition
%
of total legume
Protein
23.6
34.3
Fiber
4.8
3.8
Carbohydrate
62.8
31.6
Fat
1.5
18.7
Common beans
Soybeans
Peas
24.5
4.0
62.0
1.1
Lentils
27.7
4.1
61.2
1.0
Chickpeas
Fava beans
Peanuts
19.5
24.8
27.6
4.0
7.0
2.0
61.7
60.4
13.3
5.7
1.4
52.1
Legume Basics
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