"Eating more legumes has become more popular in recent times as it is seen to lessen the reliance of the population on meat, which is becoming more expensive."
A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse.
In the legume food group used in the Caribbean, we have peas, beans, and nuts. Legumes are used by Vegetarians as a source of protein as it is fairly inexpensive and readily available. Legumes are also consumed heavily in the regular diet for the same reasons, however, we usually pair our peas and beans with meat, or in soups and stews as well as staple dishes such as rice and peas which is a dish of rice and kidney beans. Unlike meat, Legumes contribute much less fat to the diet and are a source of, protein, carbohydrates, the minerals calcium and iron, fiber.
Eating more legumes has become more popular in recent times as it is seen to lessen the reliance of the population on meat, which is becoming more expensive. Meat production is much more expensive due to the cost of animal husbandry, slaughtering, and butchering and is now seen as less environmentally friendly.
Although substituting peas and beans for meat is a great way to meet your daily requirement of protein, you will have to consume much more legumes for the equivalent amount received from meat. Here is a list of the most commonly consumed legumes in the Caribbean and the recommended serving sizes.
The recommended daily intake of legumes is three servings per day, so if you are having all three at once you would need to have 21 cashews for the day and that would be enough to meet your daily requirements. This is the recommendation for an individual who is also consuming foods from animal sources. The requirements may be different for someone who is having a plant-based diet.
The protein in dried peas, dried beans, and nuts is more efficiently utilized by the body if a cereal such as rice or protein food from an animal source is included in the same meal. This is is the basis on which most of our dishes are designed, i.e. Rice and Peas, Oxtail and Bean, Stew Peas, Red Peas Soup, etc.
Some useful tips when consuming Legumes:
Eat nuts as a snack and between meals to stave off hunger
Add legumes to your vegetable salads to make them more filling
Soak beans overnight to remove gas-producing carbohydrates and lessen the cooking time.
What are some traditional legume-based dishes that you prepare in your country?
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