Foods That Lower Cholesterol, Legumes

When you want to lower your cholesterol, the natural way is the best way. Before you settle for medication, try to lower your cholesterol naturally. Eating legumes is one way of eating healthier. They are classed as vegetables but legumes have their own special properties. To be considered a legume, a vegetable must grow in a pod; seeds are spread when the pods pop open.

There are 600 types of legumes and 13,000 varieties. Legumes are very high in fibre, they contain high amounts of potassium and folic acid, they are low in fat, and, like all vegetables, they don't contain any cholesterol.

Three of the most popular legumes are beans, lentils and peas.

There are a huge variety of beans for you to enjoy. You can have navy beans, kidney beans, soy beans, lima beans, and many other kinds of beans.

According to the USDA, "consuming as little as one-half cup of cooked dry beans" will help to lower your cholesterol levels.

Pinto beans are seen by many as the best in helping to lowering cholesterol. Pinto beans are very high in fibre (providing over 58% of the daily requirement). They are also very high in folate, tryptophan and manganese. It is suggested if you eat just one half cup of pinto beans daily that you could possibly eliminate the need to take cholestrol medication.

Whatever the reason, all kind of beans are a tasty and nutritious vegetable.

This recipe comes from the Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, the book with a very special brownie recipe...

String Beans in the Provencal Manner

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 cup of capers

1/4 cup of boned anchovies

1 crushed clove of garlic

4 cups of string beans (previously boiled in 3/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper until tender)

Warm up the olive oil in a frying pan, then toss all the ingredients in the pan until completely mixed. Cook until tender. Top with chopped parsley and spring onion. Serve.

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Also, find 442 pinto bean recipes at Just Beans.

Lentils are a staple in the diet of most vegetarians as they provide high protein, high fibre, and they are low in fat and high in many nutrients. Lentils are an excellent replacement for meat products.

Lentils are among the first foods to be cultivated and are even mentioned in the Bible. There are 17 different varieties of lentils avaliable. They are a good source of molybdenum, folate, vitamin B¹ and provide almost 63% of the daily requirement of fibre.

If lentils are stored in an air-tight container they will last uncooked for 12 months. After they are cooked, lentils will keep for three days in the refrigerator.

Lentils are excellent in salads, soups, and main dishes.

Fat-free lentil recipes

Peas are a very versatile vegetable that can be eaten right out of the pod.

Peas were originally found in Asia and Europe. They are another vegetable that is mentioned in the Bible. Peas became popular in France during the reign of Louis XIV who had them served at palace dinners. The pea also played a role in the study of genetics when Mendal used them in his cross-pollinating experiments.

Peas are high in vitamin's K, C, and B¹. They are also high in dietary fibre, manganese and folate. To keep them fresh peas should be refrigerated immediately and used within several days. They can be blanched and then frozen for later use.

There are many tasty and healthy ways of serving peas.

Recipes for peas

Pea recipes in alphabetical order

Disclaimer:

Please be aware that the advice in this article should in no way replace that of a licenced physician and that nothing is necessarily guaranteed to lower cholesterol. Consult your doctor if you think you might have high cholesterol.