Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with fiber, protein, and essential nutrients. They're also incredibly versatile and can be incorporated into a variety of dishes, making them an excellent choice for those looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. This article explores the benefits of lentils for weight loss and provides a collection of delicious and easy lentil recipes to help you incorporate this wonderful food into your diet.
Why Lentils are Great for Weight Loss
Lentils can help you lose weight, improve your digestion, and prevent cardiovascular disease. These tiny round health bombs taste amazing, are super cheap, nutrient-dense, and low in calories. They are probably one of my favorite foods. Reasons to love lentils:
- They can help you lose weight because they’re satiating (high in protein and fiber) and low in calories.
- They keep your blood sugar stable.
- They provide a great amount of folate, iron, fiber, and protein.
- They lower cholesterol.
- They prevent constipation.
- They are easy to prepare.
- They cook quicker than beans, chickpeas, and other legumes.
- They are very versatile.
- They taste amazing.
Lentils pack a nutrient-rich punch with iron, potassium, and folate, making them an excellent staple in a plant-based diet. The added protein and fiber will make you feel full and satisfied without the need to consume a large amount of calories.
Types of Lentils
There are many different types of lentils available for purchase, including brown, green, red/yellow, and black. The different types of lentils taste slightly different and have a different consistency when cooked. Red lentils have a mild flavor and cook more quickly than brown or green lentils. Use red lentils for a softer texture, and brown or green lentils if you desire your lentils to hold their shape while cooking. Cook time will vary if using a different type of lentil.
- Brown and Green Lentils: These varieties have a more robust and earthy flavor and hold their shape well during cooking. They are ideal for salads, stews, and side dishes.
- Red Lentils: These lentils have a milder, slightly sweet flavor and break down easily when cooked, making them perfect for soups, dals, and purees.
- Black Lentils (Beluga): These small, shiny lentils resemble caviar and have a rich, earthy flavor. They hold their shape well and are great in salads and as a side dish.
Lentil Soup: A Weight-Loss Powerhouse
This low-calorie lentil soup is chock-full of vegetables, leafy greens, protein-rich lentils, and tons of spices. It is an excellent addition to your collection of weight loss recipes. One serving of this low-calorie lentil soup has 104 calories, 1 gram of fat, 6 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber.
Read also: Explore Mediterranean Diet Lentils
Easy Lentil Soup Recipe
This easy lentil soup recipe is the perfect way to warm up on a cold day! The scents and smells of a good soup on the stove fill your home with warmth and comfort.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock (low sodium)
- Onion, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Carrots, chopped
- Celery, chopped
- Italian seasoning
- Cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Remainder of the vegetable stock
- 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- Red lentils
- Fresh leaf spinach
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Good knife
- Large Dutch oven
- Ladle
Instructions
- In a large pot, pour ¼ cup of the vegetable stock on the bottom of the pan.
- Add onions and garlic. Cook on medium heat until translucent.
- Add chopped carrots and celery. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add Italian seasoning and cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to coat vegetables.
- Add the remainder of the vegetable stock, can of diced tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to medium-low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When you're ready to serve, add the bag of spinach and stir to combine. Add one handful at a time until it is absorbed and combined with the soup. Spinach wilts down quickly.
Tips and Variations
- Vegetable Stock: Use low-sodium vegetable stock as the base, or water.
- Lentils: Use red lentils for a softer texture, and brown or green lentils if you desire your lentils to hold their shape while cooking. Cook time will vary if using a different type of lentil.
- Vegetables: Throw in any of your favorite vegetables that are in your refrigerator, for example, zucchini or peas. Use kale instead of spinach.
- Spice: For a spicy variation, top with red pepper flakes.
- Tomatoes: No diced tomatoes? Use a tablespoon of tomato paste, or a small can of tomato sauce.
- Slow Cooker/Instant Pot: Prepare in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
Serving Suggestions
Top with a wedge of fresh lemon and chopped parsley. Serve with a hearty gluten-free or whole wheat baguette and a simple salad for a complete meal.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Allow to cool completely. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, making sure all air has been removed. Label with the contents and the date. This soup will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- Reheating: When ready to eat, warm in the microwave or stovetop until the desired temperature is reached. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup a bit to make it more creamy.
Other Delicious and Healthy Lentil Recipes
Here are some more healthy and easy lentil recipes to celebrate this wonderful food:
- Homemade Lentil Soup Recipe: This lentil soup is simple and humble, but tasty, filling, and healthy.
- Evolved Lentil Wraps: Made with lentils, fresh herbs, and vegetables + a garlic sauce, these lentil wraps are inspired by the Mediterranean diet and taste perfect.
- Bulgur, Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Skillet: This is a one-pan, super easy, lentil and bulgur “risotto” recipe that is flavorful and tasty. It’s also high-fiber, high-protein, and rich in iron.
- Simple One-Pot Lentils: Just put the lentils with the other ingredients to cook in a pot, and in 20 minutes, you’ve got yourself a healthy, comforting dinner.
- Easy Lentil Tacos: If you’ve already cooked up some lentils, you can spice them up and make these easy lentil tacos in about 10 minutes. Use flour tortillas of choice for more filling tacos or lettuce leaves for a lighter meal.
- Mini Pitas With Spicy Lentils: These vegan mini pitas with spicy turmeric lentils and vegan cream cheese are simple, delicious, and easy.
- Broccoli and Red Lentil Detox Soup: This is a spicy, flavorful, and easy detox soup with red lentils and broccoli. It takes about 20 minutes to make and just one pot and a hand blender.
- Lentil Curry Recipe: This easy coconut lentil curry is delicious and cooks in one pan in a very short time.
- Six Ingredient Lentil Recipe: These 6-ingredients easy lentils are perfect for wraps, on a toast, and can be eaten with some salad and avocado!
- Lentil Wraps 3.0: Another version of healthy lentil wraps! This time, the lentils are cooked differently but come again with some salad and garlicky sauce! So very tasty and quite easy!
- Red Lentil, Spinach and Bulgur Soup: Warming and satisfying, this bulgur and red lentil soup recipe is plant-based and perfect for cold weather.
- Healthy Lentil Bowls Recipe: This is a delicious, healthy recipe for lentils served with tomato cucumber salad and a garlicky tahini sauce. It’s so fresh, so wonderful!
- Lentil Bolognese Sauce: For a vegan, tofu-free bolognese, try this version with lentils and mushrooms. Sounds weird, but it’s very good.
- Vegan Potato Lentil Salad: A healthy plant-based sandwich salad with a lot of flavor. The sauce is made with something like a lentil hummus. This salad is great on toast, in a wrap, and even just like this.
- Curry Lentil Soup Recipe: This lentil soup is incredible! Red lentils and rice are cooked in a coconut curry broth - spicy, sweet, and full of flavor.
Greek Lentil Power Bowl
This Greek Lentil Power Bowl is versatile and can be served in many different and delicious ways. The best part is that the lentils are the only thing that are actually cooked! Everything else is just rinsed and chopped! That means this comes together really quickly and is great for meal prepping all your lunches (or dinners) in advance. Plus, all of these veggies are hearty and won’t get soggy if prepared in advance.
Ingredients
- Lentils
- Water
- Salt
- Greek yogurt
- Dill
- Lemon juice
- Honey
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Chickpeas
- Feta
Instructions
- Combine the lentils, water, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
- While the lentils cook, combine the Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, and honey in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon and set aside.
- When the lentils are cooked, place them in a large bowl. Top with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, feta, and Greek yogurt dressing.
Substitutions
- Onions: If you’re not a fan of onions, you can either leave them out altogether or swap them with chopped peppers.
- Honey: If you don’t have honey, you can substitute with maple syrup (or agave).
- Cherry tomatoes: You can use any type of tomato you have on hand, like rosa or plum tomatoes.
- Crumbled feta: You could also use Goat cheese, Ricotta, or Halloumi instead.
- Fresh dill: Don’t have fresh dill? No problem. You can easily substitute it with dried dill or fresh tarragon, thyme, or mint.
More Lentil Recipe Ideas
Explore this collection of healthy lentil recipes, packed with flavor and goodness:
Read also: Lentil Soup and Keto Diet
- Spiced Carrot & Lentil Soup: A delicious, spicy blend packed full of iron and low in fat. It's ready in under half an hour or can be made in a slow cooker.
- Easy Lentil Curry: This fast, cheap, and healthy vegetarian lentil curry is comforting and full of flavor. It's also low in fat and freezable for speedy midweek meals.
- Puy Lentils with Seared Salmon: Enjoy the health benefits of salmon in this dish, or make a vegan version. Save leftover lentils for quick meals later in the week.
- Haleem (Pakistani Haleem): Enjoy this hearty beef, lentil, and oat porridge originating from Pakistan. It's slow-cooked, then served with naan and lots of spicy, tangy toppings.
- Spicy Root & Lentil Casserole: The potatoes in this recipe take on the spicy flavors beautifully - our idea of the perfect veggie supper.
- Spicy Red Lentil Chili with Guacamole & Rice: Serve vegan chili made with red lentils and plenty of veg - enjoy it with homemade guacamole and brown rice for a filling and healthy dinner.
- Spinach, Sweet Potato & Lentil Dhal: A comforting vegan one-pot recipe that counts for 3 of your 5-a-day! You can't go wrong with this iron-rich, low-fat, low-calorie supper.
- Speedy Lentil Coconut Curry: This quick and easy curry has such great depth of flavor - it tastes like it’s been cooked for hours. It's healthy too, as well as being low in fat and calories.
- Lentil Bolognese: This superhealthy lentil ragu will get you four steps closer to your five-a-day and can be frozen for extra convenience.
- Miso Lentil & Cabbage Soup: Make a filling soup with the help of green lentils, pancetta, white cabbage, and mushrooms, along with miso flavors. It packs in three of your 5-a-day.
- Kitchari: Make a batch of kitchari, a soothing, dhal-like dish linked to Ayurvedic cleanses (an ancient system of alternative medicine from India) for a healthy supper.
- Basic Lentils: Make this tasty lentil recipe and use it as a base to make three more fabulous dishes. By itself, it's a tasty vegan, low-fat, and gluten-free meal.
- Lentil Kedgeree: Make this kedgeree with our basic lentils recipe, plus wholegrain rice, peas, eggs, and haddock. It can be served for brunch, lunch, or supper.
- One-Pot Lentil Chicken: This all-in-one, 40-minute meal makes a brilliant, fuss-free supper, and saves on the washing up too. Pair with potatoes or rice for a hearty dinner.
- Red Lentil & Squash Dhal: A hearty budget meal of spiced red lentils with butternut and tomatoes. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, and a dollop of mango chutney.
- Moroccan-Style Chicken with Lentils: Lesley Waters’ rich chicken dish has vibrant North African flavors and goes fantastically with rice or couscous.
- Red Lentil & Chorizo Soup: Sweet smoked paprika and cumin flavor this rustic blend topped with spicy Spanish sausage.
- Lentil & Tuna Salad: Throw together this easy, no-cook lentil and tuna salad for a speedy and healthy lunch or supper. It takes just 15 minutes to make - ideal for busy days.
- Red Lentil Soup: This warming and budget-friendly vegetarian soup is perfect packed in a flask for lunch. It's also easy to double the quantities and freeze half for later.
- Layered Aubergine & Lentil Bake: Puy lentils bulk out this low-calorie vegetarian bake with mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil sauce, and roasted aubergines.
- Lentil & Cauliflower Curry: An earthy spice pot that's low in fat and calories.
Read also: Weight Loss with Lentils