May 2021

by Maria Cecilia Mosquera, Assistant Professor in Lifestyle Medicine

A Healthy Lifestyle includes: Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, Restorative Sleep, Stress Management, Social Connection, and Avoiding Risky Substances.  Today’s Lifestyle Blog focuses on Healthy Eating.

The Mighty Lentil?

If I were to ask you what is your favourite food or your favourite meal, would a dish with legumes be the first thing that comes to mind?  Perhaps not.

But we should give legumes more thought, as research shows that legumes, their dried seeds (called dietary pulses), and/or some of their components (e.g., isoflavones), can help with the prevention or management of chronic diseases such as hypertension, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and even some cancers.

Legumes are an important part of the traditional Mediterranean diet, a dietary pattern which has been shown to have a wide variety of health benefits and which, in addition to legumes, includes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, and olive oil with moderate intake of wine, lean fresh meat, and dairy products.

In Cyprus, we are well equipped to take advantage of the health benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet and legumes, as dishes including pulses such as brown lentils (fakés) or black-eyed peas (louví) are a main stay in the traditional local cuisine.

Now that we are one year into the COVID-19 Pandemic, perhaps you are taking the opportunity to re-evaluate your health goals to help nourish your body.  Eating more home-cooked meals is one way to start.  And, setting healthy eating goals that are “SMART” can help make it easier to achieve them. One example of a “SMART” goal might be: ‘I will eat a pulse (lentils or chickpeas) for lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next one week.’ You would then track and review your progress at the end of the week to understand what barriers you encountered and to help you figure out ways to overcome them so you can reset the goal to work for you.

If you need ideas for recipes using pulses or want to keep your home menu exciting, consider using local flavours but with a twist.  This “Red Lentil Power Bowl” uses the flavours of the Mediterranean but utilizes red lentils which cook more quickly than brown lentils. And this dish can be served in a variety of ways: 1) warm or cold, 2) served alone, 3) on lettuce leaves or with whole grain pita bread, 4) as a sandwich or in a whole grain tortilla, 5) or with cooked brown rice, bulgur wheat, whole wheat pasta or couscous.

Red Lentil Power Bowl

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Serves: 8

Ingredients 

  • 7 ounces (1 cup) split small red or orange lentils, picked over and rinsed
  • 1 clove crushed garlic (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
  • 1-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (to taste)
  • 1-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (to taste)
  • 1 cup sliced red and yellow grape tomatoes (or diced regular tomatoes)
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds/arils
  • 1 or all of the following:
  • 1-3 tbsp chopped fresh mint (or 1 tsp dried mint)
  • 2-4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro/coriander)
  • 2-4 tbsp chopped spring/green onions/scallions (or chives)
  • 2 pinches Atlantic sea salt (to taste)
  • Pinch ground black pepper (to taste)

Optional Toppings:

  • Pinch ground cayenne or ground chili powder
  • 1-2 ounces avocado, diced
  • 1-2 ounces semi-soft white cheese, such as feta (ideally low-fat)
  • ¼ cup toasted chopped walnuts. Toast chopped walnuts in a pan on low-medium flame until lightly browned (2-3 minutes)

Directions 

  1. Place lentils and garlic in a small pot and add water with a pinch of salt to cover.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook 1-3 minutes until lentils are soft but still have a bite, carefully removing any foam that builds on the surface of the water while cooking.
  3. Immediately remove from heat, drain, while rinsing lentils briefly in cold water.
  4. Transfer lentils to a bowl and add lemon juice, oil, mint, parsley, chives, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds.  Ideally, let sit 30 minutes for flavours to blend.
  5. Add salt and pepper (and cayenne pepper) before serving.
  6. Garnish with avocado, white cheese, and toasted walnuts (if using).

Incorporating pulses such as lentils and chickpeas into your home menu is an easy, healthy and affordable way to add fibre and protein to your meals.  Below are some additional tools to assist you in your adventures with legumes:

If you are interested in learning more about Lifestyle Medicine at UNIC Medical School, have ideas for lifestyle activities, or would like to collaborate in the development of lifestyle activities for students, faculty, staff, or the community, please contact [email protected].