Lentils During Pregnancy: 8 Nutritional Benefits & Cooking Tips

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Consuming legumes such as lentils during pregnancy can provide you with nutrients such as essential prenatal vitamins, iron, manganese, and potassium.

These nutrients, especially folate, are important for healthy fetal development and growth. Lentils can also provide you with good amounts of fibers and vegetarian proteins and make for a healthy replacement for meat, which is also helpful for a vegan pregnancy diet. Making lentils part of your balanced plant-based diet can let you reap several benefits through your pregnancy (1) (2).

Read on to know the benefits of lentils during pregnancy and how to incorporate them into your pregnancy diet.

Nutritional Benefits Of Lentils During Pregnancy

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The taste, color, and size of lentils vary depending on the place they are derived from. Lentils can be categorized into small grains, lentil beans, and larger grains. In this article, we will be exploring the nutritional benefits of lentils for prenatal health:

1. 1 cup of lentils contains around 920mcg of folate, which aids in the development of new cells. Pregnant women require around 600mcg of folic acid every day (3) (4).
2. Half a cup of lentils contains around 179 milligrams of folate, which is a B vitamin that aids in the development of new cells. Pregnant women require around 600 milligrams of folic acid every day.
3. Lentils are rich in protein, which helps in every stage of pregnancy. Protein helps in the development of fetal muscles and tissues (3).

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4. High potassium content ensures proper blood circulation and can potentially reduce high blood pressure.
5. The fiber in lentils helps combat intestinal tract disorders and promotes immunity boost. It controls obesity and also keeps down high cholesterol levels. 100 grams of lentils contains around 31.4gm fiber (5).
6. Constipation is a common problem during pregnancy that can be tackled greatly by taking lentils, which are rich in fiber.
7. Many studies suggest lentils play a vital role in improving the biological functions of the brain (6).
8. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 37% of pregnant women worldwide experience anemia. Each serving of lentils may usually offer around nine milligrams /100 grams of iron, and therefore, they can be a great addition to the pregnancy diet to prevent anemia and associated complications.
9. Lentils are also high in polyphenols that have antioxidant properties.
10. Lentils are a preferable food choice for individuals with gestational diabetes because they cause a slower increase in blood sugar levels.

Did you know?

Lentils, when eaten with whole grains, might work as the protein equivalent of meat (12).

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Important Tips

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While lentils are rich in nutrients, you need to take care to retain all the vital properties. Here is what you can do:

• Lentils are rich in iron, which helps keep anemia at bay. One cup contains 12.5mg of iron (3).
• The vitamin C in citric fruits help in the absorption of iron (7).
• Avoid drinking tea or coffee with your meal, as this will reduce the absorption of iron.
• You must not exceed the cooking time of lentils to avoid loss of essential nutrients.
• Lentils are a source of protein, but they are not complete proteins meaning they do not contain all the amino acids.
• Lentils exhibit a significant quantity of glutamic acid, a chief amino acid inherent to them. Other abundant amino acids include aspartic acid, arginine, leucine, and lysine. Nonetheless, the occurrence of cystine, tryptophan, and methionine in lentils is meager.

Lentils

Did you know?

Lentils are gluten-free and can be safely consumed by women with celiac disease (12).

Lentil Cooking Tips

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There are different types of lentils and not just the green ones that you see. Here are some easy cooking tips that might be helpful for you (8):

• Lentils do not require to be soaked before cooking like other pulses.
• Wait for the consistency you want; if you are having them in a salad, make them firm.
• If you are preparing lentil soup during pregnancy, make it softer to relish the taste.
• Add flavors you want in the lentils. Crushed garlic and herbs can alter the taste completely.
• If using canned lentils, rinse them under water for a minute to reduce the sodium content.

Healthy Lentil Recipes During Pregnancy

There are many creative and nutritious ways in which you can add the goodness of lentils to your pregnancy diet.

1. Lentil soup

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You will need:

• 1tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• ¾ cup cooked lentils, rinsed and drained, from a 15-ounce can
• 14 ½ ounces low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

How to:

1. In a saucepan, warm some oil on medium heat.
2. Toss in onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir occasionally until the onion gets soft, which takes about three to five minutes.
4. Pour in the broth, let it come to a boil, and simmer for five minutes.
5. Toss in the lentils and cook until the soup thickens a bit more around three to five minutes.
6. Give it a good stir and add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Lentil salad

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You will need:

• 2 cups cooked lentils (your choice)
• 2tbsp red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Handful of spinach leaves, fresh and hand torn chopped
• 2tbsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

How to:

1. Toss together lentils, feta, onion, and spinach in a big bowl.
2. Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over it, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Mix everything well.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Quick tip

Add a few drops of vitamin C-rich lemon juice to your lentil preparation for enhanced taste and increased iron absorption (7).

Infographic: Benefits Of Consuming Lentils During Pregnancy

The humble household staple lentils are so much more than they are known for. Check out this infographic to learn about the multiple benefits of lentils for expectant mothers. You can save this infographic and use it as a reminder to add lentils to your meals throughout pregnancy.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Lentils During Pregnancy: 8 Nutritional Benefits & Cooking Tips

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Michelle HawksworthRD

Michelle Hawksworth is a registered dietician with four years of experience. She is also a trained yoga instructor. During her training, Michelle developed an interest in nutrition before, during and after pregnancy. This has led her to work with to-be and expectant mothers to help them optimize their health before, during and after pregnancy.

Read full bio of Michelle Hawksworth

Anshuman MohapatraM.Tech (Biotechnology)

Anshuman Mohapatra is a biotechnology scientist with more than six years of research experience in analytical chemistry and biotechnology. He has submitted his PhD thesis at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) and served as a research fellow (JRF/SRF) during his PhD tenure.

Read full bio of Anshuman Mohapatra

Rebecca MalachiBSc

Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

Read full bio of Rebecca Malachi

Aneesha AmonzMSc

Aneesha holds a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from USTM, Meghalaya and Master’s degree in Applied Microbiology from VIT, Vellore. With two years of experience, she has worked on different research projects in the field of Food Sciences.

Read full bio of Aneesha Amonz