Pulses: your way to better health

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown eating just one portion of pulses a day helps weight loss by making you feel fuller and also reduces bad cholesterol.

During the study, almost 1,000 men and women lost weight over six weeks by adding pulses to their regular diets, with no additional efforts to lose weight. In the study, bad cholesterol levels were also reduced by 5 percent, in turn lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Here is a delicious recipe to pulse you up on these cold winter nights, which includes pulses and is approved by the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA.

Chicken and lentil soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
8 cups (2 litres) good quality chicken stock
Juice of two limes
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups cooked lentils

To serve:

Three roasted chicken breasts, sliced
Four spring onions, chopped
Micro herbs
Pumpkin seed rye bread

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until translucent.

Add the chicken stock and fresh lime juice to the saucepan and season well with freshly ground black pepper.

Bring the broth to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the cooked green lentils to the broth and heat through.

Taste and season with a pinch of sea salt if needed.

To serve, spoon the broth into serving bowls, add sliced roast chicken, spring onions and micro herbs to each bowl.

Serve with toasted pumpkin seed rye bread or fresh bread of choice.