LEARN ABOUT WHY I’M OBSESSED WITH LENTILS, ALL ABOUT MY LENTILS TRIP AND TEST OUT MY TOP 5 FAVE LENTIL RECIPES!
I was hosted by my friends at Canadian Lentils, on a sponsored lentils farm tour trip in Saskatoon in July 2017. As usual, All opinions in this post are my own!
As a Registered Dietitian and busy mom of three, lentils are so easy for me to love. Lentils are a form of “pulse” (the pulse family includes chickpeas, dried beans, lentils, and dried peas). Not only do they boast a stellar nutritional profile (they are loaded full of protein, fibre, iron, vitamins, and minerals), they’re also economical, super easy and versatile, and provide a nutritious meatless protein alternative. They’re also great for adding to healthy snacks and (surprisingly!) desserts and baked goods (see my recipe for flourless lentil chocolate muffins below).
When I talk about my favourite foods, lentils is always at the top of my list for all of the reasons above. I love that I can throw them into almost any dish, to not only add texture, moisture and flavour, but also boost nutrition. It comes as no surprise that I was thrilled to accept an invitation by Canadian Lentils to farm-to-table lentils farm tour in Saskatoon a couple of weeks ago.
The amazing people at Canadian Lentils treated us on a delicious culinary adventure, where toured Saskatoon lentil farms, got to see how these delicious pulses are grown and processed, and learn all about them (oh, and eat SO. MUCH. AMAZING. FOOD.)
Lentils are not only unbelievably nutritious, but they’re also really trendy right now (I’m crossing my fingers that this lasts!). For 2017-2018, it’s all about “plant-based”, “protein-rich” and “healthy carbohydrates”. More and more, consumers are looking for whole foods that are minimally processed and that promote a health and environmental sustainability. Lentils hit the mark on all of these.
We know that consumption of dried beans, peas and lentils can have a positive impact on diet quality and health, including decreasing the chances of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Check out how lentils stack up nutritionally-speaking when compared to these nutritious whole grains:
Not only this, but lentils are also locally grown for us Canadians! Canada is the world’s leading producer and exporter of lentils (we export to over 130 countries around the world!). Saskatchewan produces 95% of Canada’s lentils!
Along with learning about, eating and cooking with lentils, I was able to meet some pretty amazing fellow dietitians and lentil-lovers, and catch up with some friends and colleagues:
My kids and I carefully chose our top 5 favourite lentil recipes for this post. Here they are!
Flourless Lentil Chocolate Muffins
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bites
Sweet and Salty Lentil Chocolate Lentil Granola Bars
Turkey Lentil Hoisin Lettuce Wraps
Kid-Friendly & Easy Vegan Lentil Nuggets
Enjoy 🙂
If you’re looking for more delicious, family-friendly recipes and nutrition tips, check out my Facebook page and Instagram feed, where I post daily!
What a fun trip! I was seeing pics on social media and remember thinking, I bet they’re learning so much cool stuff! Thanks for sharing the recap.
I love using lentils my protein source for meatless meals but haven’t tried them in sweet recipes, the flourless muffins look great!
Totally need to make those muffins! Omg!
SO fun! Getting kids to eat lentils=awesome
These all look so delicious! I’m definitely into those chocolate muffins!
Neat ideas! Will have to try!
MMM – love the variety of lentil recipes here. Definitely a lot of kid-friendly recipes.
Great post, looks like you all had a fun time!
The tour sounds like so much fun and love all that you shared about lentils- can’t wait to make one of these recipes soon!
So I made a few substitutions for your muffins, cause I didn’t want to give baby cocoa yet. I used whole wheat flour instead of cocoa (but I think coconut flour would work better, and keep it wheat free), and used pumpkin seeds instead of chocolate chips… I also halved the maple syrup. They were still fabulous, only one of the three kindergarteners I fed them too didn’t like them (she does have a super sweet tooth). Oh and baby has devoured them!
Love this! Thanks for sharing 🙂