Giving Breakfast a New Pulse
11 September 2012
Five ways to incorporate nutritious dry peas, lentils and chickpeas into the most important meal of the day.
By Ali McDaniel
A balanced and nutritious breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day. But combining the needs of consumers with recommended dietary guidelines can be a difficult task for foodservice operators, especially when competing with tasty, yet unhealthy, convenience products.
Though not usually viewed as a breakfast ingredient, pulses (dry peas, lentils and chickpeas), their flours and purées can be easily substituted for traditional ingredients in morning favorites. Packed full of nutrients, pulses are the perfect addition to many popular dishes—helping foodservice operators achieve USDA MyPlate and school dietary guidelines without sacrificing taste or texture.
Here are five simple ways to incorporate dry peas, lentils and chickpeas into your repertoire:
- Add lentils to sausage patties. Trade half of the meat in your favorite sausage recipe for Pardina lentils. These medium-brown lentils hold their shape well and have a texture similar to ground meat, making them easy to stealthily incorporate in recipes to cut down on cholesterol. Or for a vegan-friendly breakfast patty, try combining lentils with quinoa or rice, fresh in-season veggies and your favorite herbs and spices.
- Substitute pulse flour for wheat flour. According to the National Foundation for Celiac Disease, 3 million Americans are living with celiac disease and as many as 18-20 million are gluten-sensitive. Pulse flours are superior alternatives to rice or tapioca flours and fill the nutrient gaps found in many gluten-free breakfast items. Additionally, because of their neutral flavor, pulse flours can be easily substituted for wheat flours in popular items like pancakes and waffles and still please a variety of palates.
- Add whole chickpeas to your breakfast scramble. Or try including chickpeas in omelets, quiches or even frittatas. Chickpeas combined with eggs make a wholesome and rustic breakfast or brunch dish that all ages will enjoy. Moreover, the soluble fiber found in chickpeas helps manage blood glucose levels and minimize energy spikes associated with other, higher-sugar ingredients.
- Give breakfast pastries an extra boost with chickpea purée. Chickpea purée is full of iron, folate and zinc and has high levels of fiber and protein, which will help tide patrons over until lunchtime without leaving them feeling weighed down. The neutral flavor and moisture-retaining properties of chickpea purée make it perfect for muffins, breakfast loaves and other baked goods.
- Mix up the conventional yogurt parfait with pea and lentil granola. Soak, lightly boil and then dry-roast red lentils and dry peas for approximately 10 minutes at 375°F. Stir in honey, cinnamon, chopped nuts and coconut and top your yogurt parfait with a unique twist. High in potassium and low in fat and sodium, pulses are a tasty and heart-healthy addition to traditional granola.
In addition to the above five tips, visit www.cookingwithpulses.com for more information, preparation tips and recipe ideas on how to incorporate pulses into your breakfast.
Ali McDaniel is food marketing manager for the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council based in Moscow, Idaho.