Cooking with Pulses: What To Do
Using beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas as a main protein source.
Last revised
They are among the cheapest sources of protein and fibre available, and count towards your 5 A Day.
Key takeaways
- Protein in a 400g tin of lentils, drained: about 21g
- Count towards 5 A Day: yes, but only once a day however much you eat
- Most useful single change: Keep tins of beans, chickpeas and lentils in the cupboard as a default.
- Commonest mistake: Undercooking dried kidney beans, which contain a toxin destroyed by hard boiling.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Do
- Keep tins of beans, chickpeas and lentils in the cupboard as a default
- Add half a tin to a meal you already cook rather than changing the recipe
- Rinse tinned pulses to reduce the salt they are packed in
- Introduce them gradually if you are not used to the fibre
Do not
- Undercooking dried kidney beans, which contain a toxin destroyed by hard boiling
- Adding salt or acid early to dried pulses, which keeps them tough
- Doubling your fibre intake overnight
The figures behind the list
Each item above follows from these, published in the guidance named at the foot of the page.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Protein in a 400g tin of lentils, drained | about 21g |
| Count towards 5 A Day | yes, but only once a day however much you eat |
| Red lentils | need no soaking and break down into their own thickener |
| Dried versus tinned | dried is cheaper; tinned is faster and nutritionally comparable |
| Kidney beans | dried ones must be boiled hard for 10 minutes |
Where to go next
- Your Questions About Cooking with Pulses, Answered
- The Short Guide to Cooking with Pulses
- Cooking with Pulses — the reference entry
- Low-Cost Healthy Eating: What the Evidence Actually Says
- The Evidence on Reducing Food Waste, Without the Hype
When to get help
Speak to your clinical team before making pulses a staple if you have been advised to follow a low-fibre or low-potassium diet, for example with certain bowel conditions or chronic kidney disease. Pulses contain purines, which is relevant if you have gout.
Where this comes from
- NHS — Beans and pulses
- Food Standards Agency — cooking dried beans safely
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.