What is your experience with Lentils/Legumes?

EccentricDad

On another thread of mine (which I hope dies finally), everyone kept saying how Legumes and Rice are a cheap way to eat "healthy" and get full on a budget; but I'm feeling otherwise and for good reasons. For one, that's a hell of a lot of starchy carbs so mentally I can't fathom how this is good when trying to lose/maintain weight. Second of all, every time I eat them I always seem to get some digestive distress from this. Because they both are starchy, I feel them sitting in my body and it's just a heavy weight sitting there (like a bowling ball). I don't feel bloated persay, but I definitely feel like my stomach has extra weight just sitting there waiting to be fermented and dealt with...

I've had lentils 3 times now and each time I have them my stomach aches and I feel what I identify as intestinal inflammation. (Brown) Rice on the other hand, I did a morning trial and it seems I tolerate them okay (which is expected because I tolerate Rice Krispies fine too). Does anyone else have problems with Legumes (especially Lentils)?

Another thing too about the Lentils, whenever I eat them, my body has to have a BM almost within minutes of eating them; if this isn't a digestive disorder response I don't know what is! On a side note, I have a history of having IBS but never did go check if it's IBD/Crohn's because I've been controlling symptoms with my diet (I'm Gluten Free due to Celiac suspicion and GF helps with ADHD). So the Lentils could be affecting my underlying issue but I want feedback anyways to see if anyone else has this problem.

What's your experience with Lentils/Legumes? I'm thinking of putting Lentils on the DNC list and try other Legumes to see if I have the same response (though I think Black Bean chips did it to me too). I've considered buying beano, but what's the point of eating beans if you have to spend money to make them tolerable? I already do that with Lactose!!!!

carpar1

It Starts With Food is a good read, it stopped me from eating legumes. Stick with greens, they are nutritionally better with less side effects : )

rf1170

Seeds are hard to digest. If it's clear that you don't tolerate them (and it sounds like it is), I don't think you'll be missing anything nutritionally if you replace them with other whole foods. If you wish you could eat them because you like the way they taste, I'm sorry! That stinks. Do you have a similar response to other legumes? Like pinto beans or peanuts?

Personally, I like legumes, and I can eat them without any digestive distress. Every individual is, well, individual, so it's hard to give general advice that's well received by all. Good luck!

sandhillsmom

Because of the high carb count on legumes, I limit them to 1/2 cup a day if I have them at all. I use black beans, kidney beans, and chick peas. and I have them sparingly. For grains that don't give you intestinal issues, you might want to try quinoa. high protein level no gluten, and picks up flavors easily from whatever you mix with it. Tastes great in the morning with fruit for breakfast. Makes a wonderful fluffy couscous like dish, even pilaf. Again I limit servings to 1/2 cup so that I can enjoy other vegetables of carbs.

marekdds

I can't do gluten either. I haven't had the symptoms you describe. I love to put legumes/lentils in soups. Only occasionally do I have a big serving of just beans, except maybe black or pintos w/Mexican. Maybe it has to do w/ your IBS. good luck, hun.

ABQsheila

Sounds like lentils and your digestive system don't mix well. Maybe you have an allergy or something. For me, the lentils are a great source of fiber but you have to gradually increase the amount you eat....just like with adding any other high fiber to your diet.

bilberryjam

Did you soak them before you ate them? Most dried kinds (but not all) need to be soaked for 4+ hours, ideally overnight, before you eat them. Otherwise you *will* get a stomach ache. And gassy. Never eat a hard lentil.

When you say starchy cabs, the starch in lentils is "resistant starch" which means they're digested slower and differently to pasta, rice, potatoes etc. The body digests it more like fibre than carbs.

And lentils are low GI; perfect for a slow energy release. (I seem to recall you have problems with blood sugar levels? Sorry if I'm confusing you with someone else.)

Of course, maybe they're just too tough for IBS. Have you ever eaten a dish with lentils (like moussaka) cooked at a restaurant?

Sabine_Stroehm

I eat some form of beans virtually every day. My body seems to like them okay, and they have nutritional value. I don't consider them a "starchy carb" in the same sense as white potatoes and the like.

I mostly eat black beans, pintos and organic black soybeans.

I ALWAYS rinse them, (and I soak lentils over night)

draco706

Have you seen "special diets for special kids" cookbook? Well your not a kid, the cookbook has a lot of great recipes for people who have food issues. Also, the legumes could be causing gastro distress. Do you get them canned, frozen or dried? Sometimes canned ones are in a sauce with gluten. You could try some other soups. the Penzeys spice website has lots of great recipes. Try these GF/ bean free soup.

Pumpkin Soup

This may sound a bit unusual, but it is very delicious and velvety smooth.

1/4 Cup butter
1 Cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed (1/4 tsp. MINCED GARLIC)
1 tsp. SWEET CURRY POWDER
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. GROUND CORIANDER
1/8 tsp. CRUSHED RED PEPPER
3 Cups chicken broth
1 3/4 Cups freshly cooked pumpkin or 1 16 oz. can pumpkin
1 Cup half & half
1/2 Cup sour cream (optional)
2 TB. CHIVES (optional)

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the CURRY POWDER, salt, CORIANDER and CRUSHED RED PEPPER. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and boil gently, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and half & half. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour into a blender in 2-3 batches, cover and blend until creamy. Serve warm and garnish with sour cream and/or CHIVES.
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 Cups

Nutritional Information: Servings 6;
Serving Size 1 cup (262g); Calories 150; Calories from fat 110; Total fat 12g; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 550mg; Carbohydrate 9g; Dietary Fiber 1g.

Or

2 lb. boneless pork roast ( a less expensive cut of meat like shoulder roast is what you want - more expensive cuts end up tough once cooked)
1 lb. package egg noodles - wide or thin
1 large onion, peeled and minced
3 TB. vegetable oil
2 TB. ADOBO SEASONING (any southwestern style seasoning)
2 quarts water
1 tsp. PARSLEY FLAKES ( 1 TB. fresh Parsley, chopped)
1 TB. PORK SOUP BASE (optional)
1-2 tsp. sugar
1/2-1 tsp. salt
Bring 2 quarts of water to a simmer over medium heat. Slice the pork into thin strips about 2 inches long. As you are slicing it, toss it into a bowl and sprinkle on ADOBO SEASONING, toss to coat. Heat one TB. oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add 1/3 of the pork pieces and brown for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pieces are nice and brown on all sides. Add to the soup pot, then add another tablespoon of oil, heat and brown the next third of the pork. Repeat for the final third of the pork. The object is to not crowd too much pork into the pan at once, or it will steam instead of brown. Also, you can be browning the first third of the pork while you are still slicing up the rest.
Once the pork is browned and in the pot, place the onions in the pan. Add 2 TB. of water from the soup pot to the onion pan, which will start to loosen up the tasty pork bits left in the pan and help brown the onions. Add the onions to the pot after they have cooked for about 5 minutes, along with the PARSLEY FLAKES, PORK SOUP BASE, 1 tsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt. Simmer for about half an hour before serving. While the soup is simmering, cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add noodles, and cook according to package directions, but undercook by 2 minutes. Regular egg noodles take about 7 minutes to cook - remove from the water, drain and rinse after 5 minutes. Add the noodles to the soup pot about 10 minutes before serving time. Taste the soup after the noodles have been added, then use the extra salt and sugar if you desire.

Serves: 8-12.
Prep. time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 45 minutes.

2 pieces boneless/skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion
1 tsp. THYME
1/2 tsp. GINGER
1/4 tsp. GARLIC
1/4 tsp. BLACK PEPPER
1-2 tsp. 4/S SEASONED SALT
4-6 Cups water
4 oz. extra wide egg noodles (sometimes called dumpling noodles)
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. SWEET BASIL
1 sprinkle GRANULATED GARLIC
Bring a quart of water to a boil for the noodles. In a saute pan big enough to hold 4 cups water, heat 2 tsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced onion, cook one minute, then add the chicken thighs. Sprinkle with THYME, GINGER, BLACK PEPPER and GARLIC. Cook till browned on both sides, which is about 8 minutes. Halfway through the browning, sprinkle heavily with 4S SEASONED SALT. Remove the chicken, then add 4 cups water. Stir the pot to get the browned bits up off the bottom. Cook the noodles according to the package directions - undercooking just a bit - 6 minutes instead of 7 for most egg noodles. Drain without rinsing, and while steamy warm, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with crumbled SWEET BASIL and GARLIC GRANULES. While the noodles are cooking, cube the chicken and return it to the pot for the final 5 minutes cooking time. Divide the noodles between 2 soup bowls (there will probably be enough for seconds), top with a ladleful of soup, and enjoy.

Serves: 2.
Prep. Time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 15 minutes.

lyttlewon

I love lentils. I am having Coconut Dal for dinner as a matter of fact.
http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-daallentils-simmered-in-spicy.html

When you say you have a gastric response, a healthy body is supposed to go every time it eats.

EccentricDad

Did you soak them before you ate them? Most dried kinds (but not all) need to be soaked for 4+ hours, ideally overnight, before you eat them. Otherwise you *will* get a stomach ache. And gassy. Never eat a hard lentil.

When you say starchy cabs, the starch in lentils is "resistant starch" which means they're digested slower and differently to pasta, rice, potatoes etc. The body digests it more like fibre than carbs.

And lentils are low GI; perfect for a slow energy release. (I seem to recall you have problems with blood sugar levels? Sorry if I'm confusing you with someone else.)

Of course, maybe they're just too tough for IBS. Have you ever eaten a dish with lentils (like moussaka) cooked at a restaurant?

No, you have me right, I have adhd so high blood spikes result in terrible cognition and hyperactive sensory and nervous systems. So what ends up happening is the only way for me to eat carbs is if it has a low glycemic load.

Yeah, after having a bm I still felt the weight in my stomach and even now, hours after eating, I still feel the intestinal disturbance and distress. So I do think lentils aren't agreeing with me. Too bad too because they are cheap; bought them dry but triple washed and "ready to cook".

EccentricDad

I love lentils. I am having Coconut Dal for dinner as a matter of fact.
http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-daallentils-simmered-in-spicy.html

When you say you have a gastric response, a healthy body is supposed to go every time it eats.

Where did you read that? Because I read that a typical movement is once a day to once every couple pending there is no constipation. I went 3 to 4 times a day before I learned of my lactose intolerance and cut out dairy. I also started to have thinner stools when I stopped eating refined grains. I don't put much waste in my body, it metabolizes almost everything I put in because I am not over eating any more. People who eat more than they need to will have more waste.

EccentricDad

Have you seen "special diets for special kids" cookbook? Well your not a kid, the cookbook has a lot of great recipes for people who have food issues. Also, the legumes could be causing gastro distress. Do you get them canned, frozen or dried? Sometimes canned ones are in a sauce with gluten. You could try some other soups. the Penzeys spice website has lots of great recipes. Try these GF/ bean free soup.

Pumpkin Soup

This may sound a bit unusual, but it is very delicious and velvety smooth.

1/4 Cup butter
1 Cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed (1/4 tsp. MINCED GARLIC)
1 tsp. SWEET CURRY POWDER
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. GROUND CORIANDER
1/8 tsp. CRUSHED RED PEPPER
3 Cups chicken broth
1 3/4 Cups freshly cooked pumpkin or 1 16 oz. can pumpkin
1 Cup half & half
1/2 Cup sour cream (optional)
2 TB. CHIVES (optional)

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the CURRY POWDER, salt, CORIANDER and CRUSHED RED PEPPER. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and boil gently, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and half & half. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour into a blender in 2-3 batches, cover and blend until creamy. Serve warm and garnish with sour cream and/or CHIVES.
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 Cups

Nutritional Information: Servings 6;
Serving Size 1 cup (262g); Calories 150; Calories from fat 110; Total fat 12g; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 550mg; Carbohydrate 9g; Dietary Fiber 1g.

Or

2 lb. boneless pork roast ( a less expensive cut of meat like shoulder roast is what you want - more expensive cuts end up tough once cooked)
1 lb. package egg noodles - wide or thin
1 large onion, peeled and minced
3 TB. vegetable oil
2 TB. ADOBO SEASONING (any southwestern style seasoning)
2 quarts water
1 tsp. PARSLEY FLAKES ( 1 TB. fresh Parsley, chopped)
1 TB. PORK SOUP BASE (optional)
1-2 tsp. sugar
1/2-1 tsp. salt
Bring 2 quarts of water to a simmer over medium heat. Slice the pork into thin strips about 2 inches long. As you are slicing it, toss it into a bowl and sprinkle on ADOBO SEASONING, toss to coat. Heat one TB. oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add 1/3 of the pork pieces and brown for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pieces are nice and brown on all sides. Add to the soup pot, then add another tablespoon of oil, heat and brown the next third of the pork. Repeat for the final third of the pork. The object is to not crowd too much pork into the pan at once, or it will steam instead of brown. Also, you can be browning the first third of the pork while you are still slicing up the rest.
Once the pork is browned and in the pot, place the onions in the pan. Add 2 TB. of water from the soup pot to the onion pan, which will start to loosen up the tasty pork bits left in the pan and help brown the onions. Add the onions to the pot after they have cooked for about 5 minutes, along with the PARSLEY FLAKES, PORK SOUP BASE, 1 tsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt. Simmer for about half an hour before serving. While the soup is simmering, cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add noodles, and cook according to package directions, but undercook by 2 minutes. Regular egg noodles take about 7 minutes to cook - remove from the water, drain and rinse after 5 minutes. Add the noodles to the soup pot about 10 minutes before serving time. Taste the soup after the noodles have been added, then use the extra salt and sugar if you desire.

Serves: 8-12.
Prep. time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 45 minutes.

2 pieces boneless/skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion
1 tsp. THYME
1/2 tsp. GINGER
1/4 tsp. GARLIC
1/4 tsp. BLACK PEPPER
1-2 tsp. 4/S SEASONED SALT
4-6 Cups water
4 oz. extra wide egg noodles (sometimes called dumpling noodles)
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. SWEET BASIL
1 sprinkle GRANULATED GARLIC
Bring a quart of water to a boil for the noodles. In a saute pan big enough to hold 4 cups water, heat 2 tsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced onion, cook one minute, then add the chicken thighs. Sprinkle with THYME, GINGER, BLACK PEPPER and GARLIC. Cook till browned on both sides, which is about 8 minutes. Halfway through the browning, sprinkle heavily with 4S SEASONED SALT. Remove the chicken, then add 4 cups water. Stir the pot to get the browned bits up off the bottom. Cook the noodles according to the package directions - undercooking just a bit - 6 minutes instead of 7 for most egg noodles. Drain without rinsing, and while steamy warm, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with crumbled SWEET BASIL and GARLIC GRANULES. While the noodles are cooking, cube the chicken and return it to the pot for the final 5 minutes cooking time. Divide the noodles between 2 soup bowls (there will probably be enough for seconds), top with a ladleful of soup, and enjoy.

Serves: 2.
Prep. Time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 15 minutes.

I haven't ventured into recipes yet. I want to, but my family doesn't require the tastes quite yet. I am getting away with steamed veggies, cut up fresh fruit, and a meat/fish of choice. Sometimes I will include dipping sauces and spices. But I will keep your recipes around for a special occasion (or when simple is no longer acceptable).

Awkward30

So, I have had digestive issues due to legumes, but it was only because I ate a half pound of beans in one sitting and my fiber for the day passed 70. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to pass 70g fiber and not have GI distress.

That said, I can have two servings of beans per day and be fine. I quite like them.

If you are going from a processed diet to a more "whole foods" one, check your fiber numbers and increase it gradually and you won't have GI problems.

Awkward30

I love lentils. I am having Coconut Dal for dinner as a matter of fact.
http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-daallentils-simmered-in-spicy.html

When you say you have a gastric response, a healthy body is supposed to go every time it eats.

Where did you read that? Because I read that a typical movement is once a day to once every couple pending there is no constipation. I went 3 to 4 times a day before I learned of my lactose intolerance and cut out dairy. I also started to have thinner stools when I stopped eating refined grains. I don't put much waste in my body, it metabolizes almost everything I put in because I am not over eating any more. People who eat more than they need to will have more waste.

I had a similar problem before discovering I was lactose intolerant. And I think it is defined as too much if you go three or more times per day. Once every day or two is supposed to be normal.

tubaman58

If they don't work for you, don't eat them

riikka12

my mom does it as a soup, she boils it in a pot and puts tomatoes, bits of bacon, sausage and some other spices, its reallyy good! i dont have stomach problems with it though

lyttlewon

I love lentils. I am having Coconut Dal for dinner as a matter of fact.
http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-daallentils-simmered-in-spicy.html

When you say you have a gastric response, a healthy body is supposed to go every time it eats.

Where did you read that? Because I read that a typical movement is once a day to once every couple pending there is no constipation. I went 3 to 4 times a day before I learned of my lactose intolerance and cut out dairy. I also started to have thinner stools when I stopped eating refined grains. I don't put much waste in my body, it metabolizes almost everything I put in because I am not over eating any more. People who eat more than they need to will have more waste.

I didn't read it anywhere, I was informed by my daughters Pediatric Renal Specialist as part of her treatment plan for kidney reflux. You are making the assumption that quantity influences frequency.

lope

The lectins in legumes are an important protective measure for the bean plant, and a potentially harmful one for humans. Before the dawn of genetically modified disease resistant soybeans (gee, thanks Monsanto) and their corresponding toxic pesticides and herbicides, legume plants were actually quite able to defend themselves.

What do Lectins Do?

Lectins are specific proteins that bind to carbohydrates, and exist in plants in varying levels as a protective mechanism. When animals who are not adapted to consuming particular types of lectins eat them, they will experience pain or death.

At the extreme, lectins are potent enough to be a biological warfare agent as in the case of Ricin, Ricin is a lectin isolated in the castor oil bean and it acts on certain protein cells, allowing the ricin to enter the cell and prevent protein synthesis, eventually leading to cell death.

Obviously, some lectins have more toxic effects than others, as evidenced by the example above, but all lectins have some effect on the body. This is the reason that grains, beans and other lectin containing foods cannot be eaten raw.

Lectins are capable of harming the lining of the intestines, especially the microvilli. This happens when the lectins bind to the protein receptors in the intestinal lining, causing damage.

When the intestines are damaged, lectins, and the foods that they bind to, can pass through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream. These sticky molecules can then wreak havoc in the bloodstream.

Once lectins are floating around in the bloodstream, they can bind to any carbohydrate containing protein cells, including insulin and leptin receptors, desensitizing them. Without proper insulin and leptin function, problems like diabetes and metabolic syndrome can emerge. It is speculated that lectins may cause insulin and leptin resistance, two major factors in obesity and diabetes. As Whole Health Source explains:

What is not so speculative is that once you’re leptin-resistant, you become obese and insulin resistant, and at that point you are intolerant to any type of carbohydrate. This may explain the efficacy of carbohydrate restriction in weight loss and improving general health.

Lectin may cause leptin resistance, affecting its functions, as indicated by studies on effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms on the function of leptin and the leptin receptor.

Such leptin resistance may translate into diseases, notably it could be responsible for obesity in humans who have high levels of leptin.

Lectins also have the potential to bind to any carbohydrate containing tissue in the body, from the thyroid to the heart. (Maybe beans aren’t so good for the heart after all!). My personal theory is that sticky particles and pre-digested food floating around in the bloodstream does much more to clog arteries than slippery saturated fats, which get the bad rap!

pdworkman

It sounds like a possible intolerance to me. How are you with peas or peanuts? If you can't handle lentils or beans, those are other legumes that you may still be able to tolerate.

katejain

My hubby and I are both vegetarian. He's from India and they are big on dals and lentils. Go to the Indian store, buy a big bag, both cheap and healthy. I use a pressure cooker, you can add garlic, onions and ginger if you like, then spices. Some we add tomato sauce too. I have become quite good at cooking Indian food. Serve with 1/2 cup of rice and it can be a healthy opt!!!

DZFriend

I definitely had a bad reaction to them last night. I ate them from an Indian restaurant, so it is likely there were other ingredients that contributed to the problem, and that I ate too much at one sitting. I had gas soon after eating them and then very loose stools today, more than 12 hours after eating them. I also had an emotional discussion with a friend while I was eating them, which could also have contributed to the problem. Nearly every time, I eat legumes, such as lentils or chickpeas, I have some sort of distress, gas, or worse, loose stools. . . , so even though I like the taste of them, I will stop eating them. . . my body can't seem to handle them at this time. . . Of course, I have not cooked them myself at home, but at this point, I don't want to see a lentil for awhile. . .

bcattoes

I have no idea how IBS would be affected by eating legumes, rice or any other food.

But my exerperience with legumes is that I have eaten them darn near every day since I began eating solid food, which was more than 1/2 a century ago. I have never had a long term health problem (I carry no diagnoses on my medical chart). I rarely get sick. I have been prescribed no daily medications. I have never been obese or even close to it.

I think of legumes as a "super food". One of the best things I can put in my body.

I also eat a lot of brown rice, though not nearly as much as I do legumes. But then, there is a lot more variety when it comes to legumes.

Spectroman

Your problem with lentils might be related with the amount of lectins in lentils. Lectins are protein that binds with carbohydrates making it difficult for the body to break them down. Some people have more reaction to it, some people have no reaction.

Researches have shown that lectins might be associated to: “leak gut syndrome”, IBS, Chrohn’s disease, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia etc.

Soaking lentils overnight will reduce the amount of lectins in it. Try that and see if it works for you. Certain grains are also high in lectins.

Lectins are common in grains, legumes and certain starchy vegetables.

avskk

I love lentils, but I tend to avoid a lot of other legumes because the caloric load is too high for the minimal enjoyment I get from them. Lentils are worth it to me (so versatile, so cheap, so delicious, so high in protein) but beans and the like are not (so gross, so farty, so high-calorie).