Curried Lentils

healthy food tip and recipe

Green peas, asparagus, sunflower seeds and Brussels sprouts are among the best WHFoods sources of Vitamin B1, which can help reduce fatigue and sluggishness.

Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

This great-tasting meat-free dish tastes even better the second day! Kale is an unusual ingredient in this type of recipe, but not only does it add extra flavor, it also provides extra health benefits.

Prep and Cook Time: prep time: 15 minutes; cooking time: 30 minute

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orange lentils, washed
• 4 cups + 1 TBS vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 medium celery stalks,diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups finely chopped kale
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse lentils in strainer and sort through, removing debris.
2. Chop onions and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
3. Heat 1 TBS broth in medium soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently, until translucent.
4. Add garlic, carrots, and celery. Continue to sauté for another couple of minutes. Add curry powder and mix to bring out its flavor.
5. Add rinsed and drained lentils, 4 cups broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer uncovered until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add kale and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 Printer Friendly Version of Curried Lentils
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Curried Lentils
 

Healthy Food Tip

Can you tell me about phosphoric acid and bone health. What about sesame seeds?

We do not currently have in-depth information to share with you about phosphoric acid and bone health. However, we can tell you that phosphoric acid is typically found in dark colored sodas and as a preservative in some other foods and drinks. We would encourage you to read food and drink labels and avoid consuming phosphoric acid. Scientific studies do suggest that increased levels of phosphoric acid in the diet may interfere with bone health and over time negatively impact bone mineral density.

Sesame seeds are rich source of copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium, all of which play important roles in bone health. Sesame seeds must be digested so that the nutrients inside can be absorbed. If you are noticing that your body is not digesting the sesame seeds, then you may consider grinding them prior to consumption and/or including tahini or sesame butter as a regular part of your diet.

However, there is a little bit of controversy about sesame seeds and calcium, because there is a substantial difference between the calcium content of hulled versus unhulled sesame seeds. When the hulls remain on the seeds, one tablespoon of sesame seeds will contains about 88 milligrams of calcium. When the hulls are removed, this same tablespoon will contain about 37 milligrams (about 60% less). Tahini—a spreadable paste made from ground sesame seeds—is usually made from hulled seeds (seeds with the hulls removed, called kernels), and so it will usually contain this lower amount of calcium.

The term "sesame butter" can sometimes refer to tahini made from sesame seed kernels, or it can also be used to mean a seed paste made from whole sesame seeds—hull included.

Although the seed hulls provide an additional 51 milligrams of calcium per tablespoon of seeds, the calcium found in the hulls appears in large part to be found in the form of calcium oxalate. This form of calcium is different than the form found in the kernels, and it is a less absorbable form of calcium. So even though a person would be likely to get more calcium from sesame seeds or sesame seed butter that contained the hulls, there is a question about how much more calcium would be involved. It would definitely be less than the 51 additional milligrams found in the seed hulls.

Most importantly, we would encourage you to include a wide variety of the WHFoods as part of your diet for optimal nutrition and bone health. You shouldn't rely on one or two food sources as a staple in your diet.

Intuitive eating is certainly important when it comes to listening to or assessing how your body feels after eating certain foods. Importantly, each individual is unique and will respond differently to various diets, so a one size fits all approach is not appropriate.


Source: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1488d620b5de93b9