I don’t know about you, but I HATE throwing any food away and am generally very careful about meal planning, writing a shopping list and ignoring those 2 for 1 offers of perishable goods. Here are some startling statistics:-
- 50% of food is wasted between the plough and the plate, 25% of which is from the home.
- 34% of the UAE total waste is food, with 500 tons of food wasted per day during Ramadan.
- The UK throws away over 8 million tons of food a year.
- The amount of food wasted by the US and UK alone could feed over 1.5 million people.
- 1.3 billion tonnes of food a year is lost or wasted worldwide, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Apart from the fact that some people don’t have enough to eat and here we are, throwing food away, is not only immoral and expensive, but has implications for the environment too.
Perhaps pulses (dal in India) are part of the answer and should be on your shopping list for many reasons:-
- Cost: they are inexpensive which is why they have always been a major part of the diet in poorer regions of the world.
- Wastage: they don’t have a shelf life if stored correctly.
- Nutritious: high in fibre, manganese, protein, iron, potassium, phosphorus and thiamine; low in fat and cholesterol. They give you plenty of energy whilst stabilizing your blood sugar levels. They are an essential part of any vegetarian diet.
- Satisfying: because they fill you up, you are less likely to eat less nutritious foods. They provide slow release energy so that you won’t be so tempted to snack between meals.
- Versatile: they can be served as an accompaniment, put in soups or casseroles, ground down to make flour.
Lentils have been around since prehistoric times and are amongst the first foodstuffs to have been cultivated, originating inAsia, it is believed. Lentil seeds have been found at archaeological sites dating back some 10,000 years and are mentioned in the Old Testament.
Although Canada and the USA are amongst the largest producers of lentils, it is countries like India, Turkey, Ethiopia and Iran – also in the top 10 production countries – who grow them for the domestic market. Here in the Middle East region, many dishes contain lentils such as hummus and falafel. Think of Indian food and the prevalence of dal in many of their meals. In Ethiopia Yellow lentils are used to make a stew, which is one of the first solid foods women feed their babies.
A few things you should know:-
- Always rinse thoroughly before use, but no need to soak overnight.
- Put in boiling water rather than bring to the boil: easier to digest.
- Cooking times vary, but quick anyway: from 10 to 20 minutes.
- It’s worth checking for stones or debris before cooking.