A friend emailed the other day, encouraging me to use lentils on a regular basis. She said it’s the “go to” bean for stockpiling and gave 6 convincing reasons why:


FAST COOKING TIME: Lentils only take about 20 minutes to cook and a big plus is that unlike most dried beans, they don’t have to be soaked ahead of time—perfect when you need a speedy meal.

To cook: Use a 2 to 1, or 3 to 1 ratio of water to lentils. Add desired amount to boiling water; simmer for 20 minutes or until they reach your preferred consistency. Lentils also do well in a slow cooker.

LONG SHELF LIFE and PORTABILITY: All beans keep well and lentils are no exception. They are also easily portable—you can move them, pack them, or stuff them in a full bag without having to worry about smashing or breaking them.


NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Wikipedia says, “With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp. Proteins include the essential amino acids insoleucine and lysine. They’re an essential source of inexpensive protein and Health Magazine selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.”

Naturalnews.com says this, “Lentils are perfect for high nutritional yields on a budget. They’re so high in protein and energy-producing nutrients that a Canadian firm is working on putting a lentil sports energy bar together. Canadian studies on athletes proved they performed better with more endurance after eating lentils dishes than pasta.” [My comment: Notice how more and more great brownie and cookie recipes calling for cooked lentils and beans are showing up!]


And lentils are HIGH in fiber (up to 31%). We love fiber for how it prevents constipation and also helps with glucose and cholesterol levels. Also, they’re a good source of iron and folic acid (one cup of lentils has 90% of the RDA of it—this is a big deal, people).

Lentils are low in sugar and sodium, with next to no fat. And they’re high in Thiamine (vit. B1), folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. This profile means this legume is extremely valuable as meat and egg prices are going through the roof.

Lastly, they’re a great energy food and are easily digested. When you want a very quick meal and ultra-healthy meal, you couldn’t do any better!

PRICE: While almost all food prices are going up, lentils (like other beans), are still affordable. It’s common to see them for about $1.40 per 1 pound bag (depending on the brand). And they can also be bought in bulk. Amazon.com sells 25 pounds of lentils for $28.50, but the shipping cost is horrendous. Honeyville mills sells a 25-pound bag for $55.99.


The Palouse Brand (www.palousebrand.com/lentils) is one I’m familiar with (I’m from Spokane, WA) and I love this company’s products and customer service. They have 25 pounds of Spanish Brown Pardina lentils for about $45. But all Palouse Brand beans and grains are non-GMO, non-irradiated, Kosher pareve, and field traceable. If these things are important to you, then paying more may be worth it.

Price can be affected by variety. Lentils come in brown, orange (sometimes called red), yellow, green, French green, and black. The black (Beluga) lentil is always the most expensive. Typical U.S. crops are brown and green (which retain their shape better when cooked). Price-wise, I think the best bet is to watch your local grocery store for specials and then stock up. But do start laying them in store because, like everything else, they’re only going to increase in price.


TASTE: Similar to cooked pinto beans, lentils aren’t strong or overpowering. They blend well with other flavors, so they accommodate a variety of taste preferences. As with other beans, flavor options are unlimited. And since they absorb moisture while cooking, they soak up a great deal of the flavor of the water they’re cooked in. So, I like to cook them in chicken and beef broths. I’ve also had super results cooking them in salsa! And a smoked ham bone is hard to beat in a pot of beans.

FILLING: Lentils provide a high satiety point—you feel fuller longer. And without being indelicate, there are no gas issues that are typical with other beans. Lentils are also an excellent extender. Just mix some lentils into sloppy Joe filling, meat loaf, chili, hamburgers, casseroles, soups, and so on. Cooking this way not only makes your meal go farther for a very small cost, it also adds important fiber and extra nutrition.


One caveat: lentils can harden when stored for long term, just like beans, so this limits their practical shelf life to about 8 years. But even hard lentils can be softened if you cook them in a pressure cooker, or grind them to a fine paste before cooking.

And a cooking tip: don’t add salt to the cooking water. Sodium slows softening time WAAAAY down; in fact, salted water actually toughens beans and lentils. Add the salt after they’ve reached desired consistency.

With all this marketing hoopla out in the open (and I hope you’re convinced), I’ll close with an easy lentil recipe Aunt Annie used to serve as a tasty side dish during the winter along with her homemade sour dough rolls. Oh, life was good!




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