Lentils offer incredible health benefits and affordable variety to your biblical diet, and mastering how to cook lentils is the perfect way to make them a staple in your healthy lifestyle.
Today I’m covering all the benefits of eating lentils, their history in the Bible, and the best ways to eat cooked lentils.
The Tiny Powerhouse That Can Change Your Life
Lentils are tiny powerhouses of nutrition; a budget-friendly and delicious way to get necessary nutrients. This accessible superfood is suitable for all stages of life, from childhood to old age. A part of the legume family, they have lots of physical benefits.
In addition to supporting good health internally, lentils contain nutrients that help build healthy skin, nails, hair, and teeth—a beautiful reminder of God’s intricate attention to detail and His loving provision for our every physical need. Who knew such a tiny seed could have such a big impact on health for the whole body? And when our body is happy, our mind follows!
Lentils in the Bible: A Historic Superfood
Lentils are food that is found in the best cookbook in the world: the Bible! In the Bible, God gives us an abundance of insight into how we should eat.
With the amount of over-processed, nutrition-less foods in the world today, it’s vital that we look to God’s word as a source to improve our food intake. We know His plans are best for us, and that includes what we eat.
Lentils in the Bible were an important resource for sustenance and their essential nutrients, making them a staple of the diet.
In Genesis 25:34, Esau traded his birthright to his younger brother, Jacob, for a bowl of red lentil stew. After hunting, the lentils were the perfect food source to nourish him. Even though this led to him making a poor decision, this shows how important the benefits of lentils were.
Ezekiel 4:9 says, “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side.” These lentils were used for a wholesome, sustaining bread.
God provided these nutrient-dense pulses to sustain people thousands of years ago, and we still reap the amazing health-promoting effects today!
Lentil Nutrition Facts and Happy Vitamins
Did you know your cells actually crave lentils? They pack a punch with what I like to call “happy vitamins”– B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, and lots of zinc.
Lentils also contain other nutrients such as potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Being low in calories and packed with these nutrients and antioxidant properties makes them one of the best foods to add to your diet.
A Premier Vegetarian Protein Source for a Biblical Diet
Have you ever eaten a lot, but still felt hungry shortly after? This can be caused by a lack of protein in your diet. Protein helps you feel full for longer while eating less. Therefore, protein-rich diets can support weight loss and keep it off without the ever-present feeling of hunger. Eating more protein is great for helping with this, which means you should eat more lentils!
Lentils are a good source of protein. Just one cup of cooked lentils contains around 18g of protein. This makes them a great protein supplement for anyone who doesn’t eat meat.
The protein in lentils helps build strong muscles. For those in the gym, this is the perfect addition to a protein-centered diet. Eating a meal with plenty of protein before your daily exercise is a great way to get toned muscles.
In our Treasures of Healthy Living Bible study, which teaches how to eat a balanced Bible diet, the three principles make it simple to distinguish healthy foods and foods that will deliver high-quality fiber and protein.
Lentils for Weight Loss and Digestive Health
Fiber, one of the other main dietary necessities alongside protein, is an essential nutrient for health and weight management. Most Americans don’t even eat close to the suggested amount of fiber each day! Fiber holds so many necessary health benefits for our bodies, which I talk about in this video.
Fiber is also important for regular bowel movements, which can help prevent colon cancer and other digestive diseases. This is a true sign of someone who is healthy!
Using lentils for weight loss is a great tool because of their high fiber content. Weight management is one of the greatest benefits of lentils. The fiber and protein content help keep you feeling full, providing the nutrition needed to balance your digestive system.
Want to know more about fiber and its many benefits? Start here!
But fiber goes way beyond digestive health. Fiber helps lower the risk of dangerous chronic diseases like diabetes. It helps manage blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels, and improve heart health, leading to a longer life. Fiber is not simply food for you—it is food for the trillions of microbes God designed to live within you, producing compounds like butyrate that nourish the gut, calm inflammation, support healthy weight, and even influence mood through serotonin production.
Disease-Fighting Polyphenols and Essential Minerals
Lentils are a good source of polyphenols, which are compounds in foods that can help you fight certain diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It helps against diabetes by lowering your blood sugar levels. It can also improve insulin sensitivity; your body’s natural way of handling high blood sugar.
Polyphenols are potent, disease-fighting antioxidants that research suggests may support heart health by reducing systemic inflammation and managing healthy blood pressure levels. They also play a key role in improving insulin sensitivity, which is your body’s natural way of managing blood sugar effectively. When you consistently include these in your meals, you are doing more than just eating; you are providing your body with the tools it needs to thrive.
Having a regular diet of polyphenols might also lower your risk of cancer! Studies show that polyphenols can block cancer cells from growing! Sounds like a miracle nutrient to me.
The health benefits of lentils include anticancer properties, anti-inflammatory benefits, and many other nutrients that lead to a strong immune system, better blood sugar, and lower blood cholesterol levels.
Your heart and the rest of your body will thank you for adding lentils to your overall food intake.
How to Cook Lentils (Stovetop Guide)
Now that you know why you should add them to your diet, let’s learn how to cook lentils!
1. How to Prepare Lentils for Cooking
First, rinse your lentils with fresh water to remove any dust or debris. Just as with any food, it’s important to prepare lentils the correct way before they are cooked. Unlike other legumes, lentils don’t need to be soaked, just rinsed.
2. Cooking the Lentils on a Stove
On a stovetop, add 3 cups of a preferred liquid (water, stock, etc.) for one cup of dry lentils. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan, as the lentils will double or triple.
3. How to Boil Lentils
Bring the lentils to a boil, then cover them tightly and reduce heat. Let them simmer until tender.
Whole lentils take about 15-20 minutes to get tender. Cooked split red lentils take about 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on them!
One thing that helps the lentils not to become tough is to wait to salt them. Once they’re done is the perfect time to add salt to enhance the flavor.
Choosing and Cooking Different Types of Lentils
God gave us a variety of unique lentils to eat and enjoy the health benefits from. It’s important to choose the best type of lentil for specific dishes, as they all have slightly different characteristics that lend them towards certain meals.
Looking at the grocery aisle can get overwhelming when not knowing what to look for. Brown lentils, French lentils, green lentils—are there too many lentils to choose from? Certainly not!
Here is a breakdown of the strengths of each lentil, so it’s easy to choose what to pick up at the grocery store. And all types contain the heart health benefits and dietary fiber boost that make this food such a blessing.
Brown and Green Lentils
These are the most common types of lentils. There’s a good chance these are what your mind immediately goes to when you think about lentils.
They take around 20-30 minutes to cook and usually fall apart a little. That fallen-apart texture is delicious in some meals, but not for others.
Avoid using these in something like a salad. Instead, make them your new favorite ingredient in soups. These edible seeds will flourish in soups and stews!
Red Lentils
Similar to brown and green lentils, these get mushy after cooking. This is because of the facts their skins are removed.
They take about 20 minutes and are perfect for Indian dishes. Don’t be afraid of the mush, but use these lentils to make the perfect curry.
Moroccan soups and curry dishes are just waiting for these lentils! Adding a cup of cooked lentils is a great addition to many vegan dishes for their protein and dietary fiber content.
French Lentils
These fancifully named lentils differ greatly from their cousins—brown, green, and red. Instead of falling apart, they retain their shape and texture after being cooked through.
A strong texture means that they’re perfect for sides and salads. However, it also means longer cooking times. Around 40-50 minutes is the perfect time to check on them.
How to Cook Canned Lentils
Canned lentils are a great time-saving option to enjoy a meal quickly and with all the benefits of lentils.
Be sure to rinse them under clean water for about one minute in order to reduce the sodium content. This is important for blood pressure levels.
After rinsing, cook the lentils normally. Then, you have a quick and easy dish to add to a variety of foods!
Best Bible Diet Recipes for Eating Lentils and Enjoying the Amazing Health Benefits
Adding this cheap, nutritious food to your daily biblical diet is a fantastic choice for reaping God’s blessings in every meal. Good health doesn’t have to break the bank or take all day—God specifically provided us with foods like these to keep us healthy.
Just half a cup of lentils a day has so many benefits; from helping improve high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and weight loss to boosting overall heart health, these legumes are essential for a natural, plant-based, and healthy diet.
There are so many delicious and unique ways to enjoy lentils! Pairing them with whole grains is great for getting a multitude of nutrients. Whole grains are another great Biblical food. (Learn all about them here.)
This Anti-Inflammatory Soup is the perfect meal for adding lentils, or add lentils as part of the Power 5 Salad for a well-rounded nutritional meal.
Whether you are looking to increase your intake of plant-based protein or simply want to better understand lentil nutrition facts, incorporating this ancient food into your biblical diet is a simple, faithful step toward honoring your health. Start cooking your first batch of these God-provided superfoods today!
Disclaimer
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical concern or condition.
