kaid59•12d ago

Appreciation post: That $3 bag of lentils I grabbed on a whim

I was sick of spending $8 on a pack of chicken just to make dinner stretch. Threw a cup of red lentils into my usual veggie soup last Tuesday and it thickened up perfectly plus added protein... anyone else find a cheap ingredient that secretly does the heavy lifting?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliviagrant12d ago

Red lentils actually aren't the highest in protein compared to other beans, they're more of a carb source with some fiber. But they do thicken soup like crazy and keep you full for hours, so they're still a solid deal. Just don't skip the chicken entirely if you need that full protein punch.

cooper.phoenix12d ago

I swapped half the chicken for chickpeas in my curry last week and honestly didn't miss the meat much. Lentils thicken it up real nice but I still add a little chicken for the flavor.

aaronclark12d ago

Yeah but red lentils actually have a pretty solid protein content for a plant source, about 24-26 grams per cup cooked. That's not far off from chickpeas or black beans. And if you pair them with rice or whole wheat bread you get all the amino acids you need, so you don't necessarily have to rely on chicken for the protein punch. The fiber thing is legit though, they really do keep you stuffed. Cooper.phoenix probably got a decent amount of protein from that half chicken half chickpea swap, especially if he ate it with rice.