Yes, you read that right: today, we are going to talk about the humble lentil.

Sometimes, when we talk of a healthy plant-based diet, we immediately think of complicated recipes and ingredients that are hard to find or even pronounce. But while it’s great to have diverse foods on the menu, we don’t have to skip over the more ‘common’ ingredients. Many of them are underrated when it comes to nutrition! Lentils are a fantastic example.

Rarely do we talk about how beneficial lentils are to our skin and hair, but these pulses can do wonders. Besides being nutrient-packed, lentils are vegan, affordable, and super accessible. Here’s our quick guide on lentil skin benefits. Plus, read on to learn a fresh way to enjoy lentils!

Lentils are one of the most protein-rich vegan foods around. Just a cup of cooked lentils can give you 18 grams of protein, which is more than a fifth of the recommended Daily Value (DV).

So what does protein do for our hair and skin? Protein provides our body’s building blocks including collagen and elastin for our skin, and keratin for our hair. Scientists have established that when we don’t produce enough collagen and elastin, our skin can prematurely sag and be more likely to wrinkle. Likewise, hair that’s deficient in keratin becomes brittle and prone to breakage.

So if you want smooth skin or strong hair (who doesn’t?), make sure to get adequate protein. And because lentils are a good protein source with zero saturated fats and low calories, they’re an ideal choice for your beauty diet!

A quick explainer of antioxidants: At any given moment, our living cells are fighting a battle against unstable molecules called free radicals and oxidants. When these molecules build up in our cells, they can cause a variety of disorders, from premature aging to cancer. Thankfully, our cells can protect themselves using compounds called antioxidants.

Fruits and vegetables are amazing sources of antioxidants, but did you know lentils are, too? These legumes are loaded with phenols or phenolics, which are a type of antioxidant. Various studies have examined this lentil benefit. One paper even said that certain lentils are “a promising source of antioxidant phenolics, and may be used as a dietary supplement for health promotion.”

There are lots of varieties of lentils, but which one is best for our diet? In general, the nutrients we get are loosely similar across lentil varieties, but other factors can make one lentil type more ideal than the others:

Ever so versatile, lentils can be eaten in so many ways, from crunchy salads to creamy stews. But first things first: you’ll have to pre-cook these legumes to make them edible. The general way to cook them is to simmer them in a pot of water until they’re tender. Now, here are just a few things you can do with lentils:

It’s really just a matter of imagination when thinking of ways to eat the super adaptable lentil. Speaking of which, we came up with our own lentil recipe that’s quite unusual but really good. Ladies and gentlemen, we introduce our red lentil tofu!

What we do in this recipe is puree the lentils in a way that they set into a solid mass, just like soy tofu. From there, we fry or bake the lentil tofu with whatever seasoning we want. The texture is firm yet soft – the perfect middle ground between crunchy and mushy. It’s a nice twist for when you want to eat more lentils but can’t think of an appetizing new dish to make. Try it!

We double this recipe every time we make it, keep it in the fridge, and fry as we need it. The uncooked ‘tofu’ can sit in the fridge for four days and still turn out great on the air fryer! Air-frying is our favourite way to cook this, then we eat it as a snack or as a salad topping.

I’m always on the lookout for affordable plant-based recipes that are also tasty. I concoct some of my own, too! We may be sharing more of our recipes in future blog posts, so watch this space!

How about you? Any lentil recipes or vegan go-to dishes to share? Comment below – we’d love to read it!

xx,

Judit

Related:

Top 8 Vegan Foods for Amazing Skin

5 Easy Skincare Resolutions for Healthier Skin

Additional reading:

• “Lentils: A nutrient-dense food to enjoy often” – Michigan State University Extension
• “Everything You Need to Know About Lentils” on UN Food and Agriculture Organization
• “Nutrition & Benefits of Lentils: The Gut-Friendly Legume That’s Super Easy to Cook” – MindBodyGreen
• “Lentils” – Center for Food as Medicine