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At what age to introduce pulses in baby’s diet?
Pulses: not before 15 months for babies
More difficult to digest than other vegetables, pulses are strongly discouraged before the age of 15 or even 18 months, and before 3 years for the harder chickpeas, which can cause a suffocation. As a general rule, the recommended amounts are limited (in dry weight) to 20 g per week between 2 and 4 years old, and to 35 g (spread over two meals in the week) between 4 and 6 years old.
The family of pulses includes: lentils, broad beans, dried beans, chickpeas, split peas… They are naturally rich in fiber.
The nutritional benefits of pulses
Pulses are divided into four main families: beans, lentils, peas and broad beans. Those are live seeds that have simply lost their excess moisture thanks to natural drying. They rehydrate during cooking and then regain all their freshness. Once cooked, they are excellent in mash, soup, side vegetables and in salads.
And above all, they are full of nutritional benefits. Sources of vegetable proteins and slow sugars, they are cholesterol-free, practically free from fat and salt. They are also rich in dietary fiber and vitamin B9 (or folic acid).
Finally, there are minerals : iron (lentils, peas, beans and beans), calcium, phosphorus and potassium (beans and peas). Contrary to popular belief, these foods generally contain less than 5% lipids.
The energy content of pulses: cooked in water, they are low in energy (on average 82 kcal per 100 g cooked). It is advisable to soak them a few hours beforehand to facilitate their cooking. It is the addition of cooking fat or sauces that makes them heavier. On the other hand, they have a high protein content : on average more than 20%. As such, they have long been considered meat equivalents. However, these proteins are of lower quality than animal proteins and it is necessary to combine them with another source of proteins, for example cereals.
Make children love pulses
The easiest way to get your child to taste dried vegetables without appearing to be: in the form of soups or purees. A handful of Coral lentils in the soup (house) makes it much smoother and once mixed, your child will see nothing but fire! With lentils, you can also make delicious croquettes. They can also be incorporated into mashed potatoes, split peas and peas. It all depends on your child’s chewing abilities!
Beware of digestive discomfort with pulses
Note that due to their fiber content, pulses can cause fermentation in the large intestine, resulting in gas and sometimes painful bloating. For better digestion, it is necessary to cook them for a long time, so that the heat renders the enzymes that interfere with digestion harmless. Fresh, they cook in 30-40 minutes. Dried, they become richer in protein and mineral salts, and require a longer preparation (1 hour).
A tip for cooking pulses : do them soak in water for at least 8 hours, changing the water several times, then rinse them thoroughly. Finally, cook them in cold, unsalted water, as the salt will make them too hard (you can use baking soda). Optionally add thyme, oregano, cumin or cloves at the end of cooking, which prevent fermentation.