Legumes twice a day?

federicafezza4271

Hi,

I have a question about legumes.

when I started tracking calories and nutrients I quickly noticed that when I eat legumes (usually in a soup and sometimes paired with a little portion of grains such as 25 grams of raw rice/quinoa) I manage to make a balanced meal with enough proteins (20% of my daily calories) and that keeps me full.
Also, since I don't like most vegetables and usually have them as snacks (carrots and fennel), legumes give me a good amount of fiber (I set my daily goal to 40 grams).

I have gotten into the habit of having legumes (+grains sometimes) for lunch and whatever my family has for dinner, usually meat or fish, but I'm starting to notice a pattern where I eat well from breakfast to afternoon, and then at dinner I have issues controlling my hunger and have more bread than I should, for example. I think this happens because I have less self control when I'm tired.

So I was starting to think to also have them for dinner, so that I can try to stick to my filling, warm soup and not be tempted by bread and stuff.
I think I may plan to have legumes for dinner everyday and for lunch every other day.
Do you think it would be a problem to have legumes twice a day?

Thank you in advance!

kommodevaran

I think that the more you restrict, the more you will want the "forbidden" food. I also think that variety is important. (Are you a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables? Problems ahead.) Do you have bread with dinner every day? Maybe make a rule that you eat it just once per week, or just one slice per meal?

BeGrandLike

It might send you on the parp-train to.. er, to Parpsville? But like, YMMV

federicafezza4271

kommodevaran wrote: »

I think that the more you restrict, the more you will want the "forbidden" food. I also think that variety is important. (Are you a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables? Problems ahead.) Do you have bread with dinner every day? Maybe make a rule that you eat it just once per week, or just one slice per meal?

I agree with all of the above, I am sorry if I gave the impression of restricting anything.
The fact is, I don't really get satisfaction from bread or other extras I am referring to, I just eat it because it's in front of me and I'm not full/satisfied.
When I eat correctly, I do eat a proper amount of whole grain bread when I have meat or fish (I'm omnivore), so in my "plan" I would have it on the days I have fish or meat for lunch.
Also about variety, this "plan" is sort of a flexible one, i mean that I vary my food and include treats in my diet.
For example I always have a square of dark chocolate after dinner (I make room for that in my calories) and from time to time I dine out or eat my mum's delicious cuisine.
What I want to reduce is the amount of food that hinders my weightloss AND doesn't fill me with joy and I thought having legumes for dinner might help.

My question was just if it's bad for some reason to have them twice a day sometimes?

AoifeFitzy wrote: »

It might send you on the parp-train to.. er, to Parpsville? But like, YMMV

English is not my mother tongue so this sentence has literally no meaning to me.. is it about bowel movements?

BeGrandLike

federicafezza4271 wrote: »

AoifeFitzy wrote: »

It might send you on the parp-train to.. er, to Parpsville? But like, YMMV

English is not my mother tongue so this sentence has literally no meaning to me.. is it about bowel movements?

Yes! But the trumpety, windy kind as well as the more solid variety!

kommodevaran

federicafezza4271 wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I think that the more you restrict, the more you will want the "forbidden" food. I also think that variety is important. (Are you a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables? Problems ahead.) Do you have bread with dinner every day? Maybe make a rule that you eat it just once per week, or just one slice per meal?

I agree with all of the above, I am sorry if I gave the impression of restricting anything.
The fact is, I don't really get satisfaction from bread or other extras I am referring to, I just eat it because it's in front of me and I'm not full/satisfied.
When I eat correctly, I do eat a proper amount of whole grain bread when I have meat or fish (I'm omnivore), so in my "plan" I would have it on the days I have fish or meat for lunch.
Also about variety, this "plan" is sort of a flexible one, i mean that I vary my food and include treats in my diet.
For example I always have a square of dark chocolate after dinner (I make room for that in my calories) and from time to time I dine out or eat my mum's delicious cuisine.
What I want to reduce is the amount of food that hinders my weightloss AND doesn't fill me with joy and I thought having legumes for dinner might help.

My question was just if it's bad for some reason to have them twice a day sometimes?

Oh - good to hear that you get in variety (and you're not "afraid" of food). No, there's nothing wrong with eating legumes twice a day.
It's also good to hear that you both plan AND are flexible. My advice would then be to plan for what you like best, prioritize that, and try to trust that you can stick to the plan (think when you are rested, and just do when you are tired); when you look forward to something, it's easier to skip other things that you eat just because they are there.

PennWalker

federicafezza4271 wrote: »

Hi,

Do you think it would be a problem to have legumes twice a day?

I usually eat legumes twice a day. Lentils are a big source of protein in my day (and also iron and fiber). They've been totally beneficial for me. I often eat them with stir-fry or simmered vegetables and add spice.

You mentioned eating soup. One thing to remember is people lack an enzyme to digest the legume shell, so if you ever cook from scratch (dry from the bag), cook until very soft or presoak and avoid digestive problems that way.

jessicapk

It may take a little time for your system to get used to it but there's nothing wrong with eating them that much. They're extremely healthy in many ways. Just make sure you're getting enough protein from other sources, too, since you need all amino acids for best health.

I eat beans every work day with my lunch and they've done wonders on controlling my appetite because they are the perfect blend of fiber and protein to keep me full. The first week or so was pretty gassy but it's mellowed out I do eat them with dinner from time to time, as well.

littlechiaseed

Um I'm vegetarian and eat them 2-3 times a day...it's fine...I'm betting that you aren't eating enough in general and that's why you don't feel good. You left out how many calories you're eating daily, activity level and what other foods you are eating.

apullum

The only potential problem I can think of is that you might get bored with them very quickly. I rotate out the type of bean I cook each week so I'm always eating something a little different. And as a vegetarian, I can confirm that "digestive problems" should get better as your body adapts to eating them

successgal1

I feel full and satisfied with a hearty stew of lentils and veggies. Lentils pack quite the nutritional punch and don't have the effect on my system that beans would have. And they are faster to cook from dry.

For another warm, full feeling with dinner I've substituted mashed squash (butternut usually) for a higher calorie side like potatoes or rice.

federicafezza4271

thanks everyone for the useful suggestions!