|
They don’t call legumes Nature’s Superfood for nothing.
They’re low in fat and high in fibre, they have a low GI plus
they’re a rich source of iron and contain a varying amounts of
other important vitamins and minerals.
Just as importantly, legumes are a prebiotic which means they nourish
the good bacteria in your system. That’s why we should all be eating
more beans more often.
Today there is more focus and attention by food companies such as ours
to ensure the products we develop meet both the customer requirement for
great tasting food, whilst at the same time ensuring our foods meet
desired nutritional criteria.
And, as you can see from these recipes, it’s very easy to give your
meals a healthy edge.
Heart Foundation Tick Approved
 The following Edgell legumes are Heart Foundation Tick approved – they
have met the Tick’s strict standards for fat and sodium.
Edgell Borlotti Beans
Edgell Butter Beans
Edgell Chick Peas
Edgell Large Red Kidney Beans
Edgell Four Bean Mix
Edgell Red Kidney Beans
Fibre
Dietary fibre is the name given to carbohydrate from plant foods that
passes through the body undigested. The main sources of dietary fibre
are cereals, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
Legumes
Legumes are among the most nutritiously valuable foods available. Legumes are a group of plant foods which include
beans, lentils and dried peas.
Resistant Starch
Legumes are high in resistant starch which is regarded by many as a
component of dietary fibre. It avoids digestion and absorption in the small intestine (hence
the term ‘resistant’), and moves on to the large intestine where it is
broken down by fermentation. Like regular dietary fibre, resistant
starch plays an important role in digestive function.
Vegetarian Eating
A well-planned vegetarian diet can be nutritionally sound and may offer
additional health benefits. The positive health benefits of a vegetarian
diet is attributed to two factors - the absence of saturated fat and
cholesterol from meat and a higher intake of fibre and antioxidants from
nuts, grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables.
Glycaemic Index
Carbohydrates have received a bad rap over the past few years. Diets such as Atkins and The Zone saw people cutting carbs and low-carb foods start popping up on supermarket shelves. Fortunately, in Australia this fad fizzled out and a far more sensible carbohydrate concept emerged: The Glycaemic Index.
|
