The British Heart Foundation’s senior dietitian explained how the diet swap could help to improve health
A dietician has explained how eating less meat and more pulses could reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke and benefit your digestive system, among other health advantages. As Veganuary nears, people might consider reducing meat in their diet.
The expert explained that replacing meat with pulses could help you eat less unhealthy saturated fat while maintaining a diet high in protein. Explaining why pulses, such as peas, beans and lentils, are so good for your health, Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said pulses make a great addition to a healthy diet.
She told the charity’s Heart Matters magazine: “They are high in protein and fibre, low in fat and cheap to buy. That means they can save you money, help you manage your weight and lower your risk of bowel cancer. And they’re good for the environment too.”
She added that all dried or tinned lentils, peas or beans count as pulses, except for peanuts and soya beans. The British Heart Foundation also recommended easy ways to add pulses to your diet.
For instance, you could add butter beans, cannellini beans, brown lentils, or green lentils to a salad. You might add extra kidney beans to a chilli recipe. Or perhaps you could replace half the meat in a bolognese recipe with lentils.
Parker revealed: “Replacing half or even all the meat you eat with pulses is a great way to eat less unhealthy saturated fat, manage your weight and keep your digestive system healthy. You will also feel better and reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke.”
Find out about the symptoms you need to watch out for and get health advice with our free health newsletter from the Mirror
She said one portion of pulses, or three heaped tablespoons, provides up to 9g of protein, which makes up around a sixth of your daily requirement. Meanwhile, one portion of pulses contains around a third of your daily fibre requirement.
Accordingly, pulses can help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, the expert explained. As pulses count as a protein and a vegetable, they’ll also contribute toward your 5-a-day.
The World Cancer Research Fund says: “Pulses are high in fibre, and we have strong scientific evidence that eating high-fibre foods can reduce the risk of bowel cancer, as well as helping to reduce the risk of weight gain, overweight and obesity which can help protect against at least 13 types of cancer.”
