LENTILS

I eat a a great amount of vegetarian foods and lentils are a big part of my diet.

1 cup of cooked lentils is around 200 calories and 17 g protein

I have been known to cook them with a package of Lipton french onion soup mix, but now I will try to make them with vegetable stock and freeze dried onions.

I typically do not eat them as my main meal but as a side, so I typically have around 1/2 cup serving.

mmmmmmmm lentils!!

We eat them every week! My kids love them and they are super healthy and eay to make.

My fave way to make them:

In a large pot boil water & "bunch" of cilantro. Once that is boiling for 20 min or so, add the lentils. Cook until soft. Once soft, add seasoning, a can of chile chipotle (I usually make a smaller pot and don't add the actual chiles in this one, but still add the chile sauce since it will be too spicy for the kids), chicken buillion. mmmmmmmmmmmmm
it's also good if you drop a few whole eggs in there at the end. just crack them up and drop them in. they will cook like a boiled egg (sort of) and it's really yummy!

Yes, you are correct, that would be .33 calories for 3 people to share 1/2 cup. And they are not fatty, at all as a matter of fact they have .1 g saturated per cup. Lentils are super good for you.

I'm a vegetarian on a budget, so I live off of beans and lentils pretty much. I tend to use green rather than red as they stay firmer for me. Most often I make lentil burgers; lentils with couscous, cauliflower, and toasted almonds; and lentils and rice with caramelized onions. I could dig up recipes for any of these if they sound tasty to you. One that I tried recently was this root veg casserole from here --> http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1364/spicy-root-and-lentil-casserole It was quite nice! As for portions... I think 1 cup cooked is the norm one the food diary if you're eating them by themselves.

I made this last week and it was so awesome. I also froze the leftovers and ate a bowl yesterday, so I know it freezes well. From skinnytaste.com

Lentil And Chicken Soup
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups • Points: 2 pts
Calories: 126.3 • Fat: 0.8 g • Protein: 15.8 g • Carb: 14.1 g • Fiber: 5.0 g

1 lb dried lentils
3 small chicken breast halves on the bone, skin and fat removed
2 chicken bullion (I like Maggi)
1 packet Sazon (in Latin section)
1 small onion
4 scallions
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
8 cups water

In a large pot combine lentils, chicken, water and chicken bullion. Boil, covered over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the bone and shred, return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a mini chopper, finely chop onions, scallions, cilantro, garlic, and tomato. Add to the lentils with sazon and cook 15 more minutes, or until lentils are soft. (Add more water if needed)

Note: Sazon is found in the Latino or Mexican aisle. The seasoning is used on meats, fish, poultry, beans and even to flavor soups and stews. Typical ingredients include cilantro, corriander, annatto, azafran, achiote, garlic, onion or salt. Some brands contain MSG so check labels. I buy Badia Sazon Tropical because it has no MSG.

Lentils are awesome, but there are a TON of different types. My favorite are toor dal, but they require a pressure cooker to make. Delicious though!

I LOVE lentils...I eat them every day during the week. I make a four bean salad with lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, and baby lima beans, cooked from dry with garlic and thyme, then tossed with a garlic infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. Yum! Serving size is a half cup, with around 180 calories. That and two homemade meatballs, and I'm full and happy at lunch time. Lentil soup is also amazing. The thing I like about lentils is that they have a really easy flavor, so you can throw them into just about anything.