Budget-Friendly and Nutrient-Dense: Eat Lentils!

Red lentil dahl (Madeleine Olivia)

It’s strange that in many countries, meat-eaters almost laugh at people who eat lentils, as they are being deprived. But in many countries (like Italy and several areas in the Middle East) lentils are eaten by everyone, no matter what their diet.

Lentils are cheap, nutritious and highly tasty in recipes, so why not give them a go. If you have had lentil-phobia in the past, you may be pleasantly surprised! Lentils can be bought loose in zero waste stores, dried in bags or pre-cooked in tins.

Keep these recipes away from pets due to garlic, onion, spices. Unless you have a food waste bin (made into biogas), just bin acidic or spicy produce scraps like peppers, onion/garlic/shallot/leeks/chives, to avoid harm to earthworms and other compost creatures.

For tinned ingredients, rinse/remove lids (or pop ring-pulls over holes) then step on the can to pinch the inner rims together, to avoid wildlife getting trapped at recycling points.

A quick trip to lentil university!

All lentils are packed with protein, iron and fibre. The most common ones you’ll find in shops are:

Red lentils – these are quickest to cook (around 20 minutes) and popular for dals, curry and soup. And also adding to tomato pasta sauce for protein.
Green and brown lentils – these take a little longer to cook, and hold their weight well after cooking. For this reason, they are good for vegan cottage pies and stews, salads and in vegan bolognese sauce.
Puy (French green lentils) have a more nutty flavour, and often used in salads.
Beluga (black) lentils are less common, and again are nutty in taste, and often used in salads.

One pot lentil stew (green lentils)

One Pot green lentil stew (Full of Plants) is cooked in less than 20 minutes, and very filling. A lovely meal for a chilly night! No tomatoes, just a light veggie stock and even some beer!

Vegan meatballs (green or Puy lentils)

These lentil meatballs (Vibrant Plate) use green or Puy lentils, not orange ones. Or you’ll end up with mushy meatballs! Bound together with a flax egg, these are delicious served on mashed potatoes.