by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada, November 2009 – The Canadian pulse industry has recently released a white paper on the benefits of using pulses – beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas – as a food ingredient that provides nutritional and health benefits and contributes to environmental sustainability. Give Peas a Chance – The case for more pulses in the field and on the plate shows how using pulses can improve the nutritional profile of food products and reduce the carbon footprint of the food produced.
“Food manufacturers and retailers are not only looking for healthy and nutritious products, they also wants to know the environmental story of the food they are producing and marketing,” says Gordon Bacon, CEO of Pulse Canada. “Pulses have a great story to tell as they offer both sustainability in the field and positive nutritional results on the plate.”
The health benefits of pulses are plentiful. Higher in protein than most other crops, pulses are low in fat and they have a low glycemic index, which means their carbohydrates are mostly fibre and starch that prevent blood sugars from rising quickly after eating. Clinical trials have shown that eating pulses are not only nutritionally beneficial, they provide excellent health benefits and can even help combat chronic health concerns such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Pulses are also an environment-friendly crop. As a member of the ‘legume’ family, they have a symbiotic relationship with soil organisms, which allows them to make their own nitrogen fertilizer from the atmosphere. By producing their own fertilizer, this reduces the need for manufactured nitrogen made from fossil fuels.
With consumer demand for healthy and environmentally sustainable products increasing, the global food industry is looking for solutions. Pulses can be part of the solution with their combined health and environmental benefits. The pulse white paper, Give Peas a Chance – The case for more pulses in the field and on the plate, outlines the opportunities and is available online at www.pulsecanada.com/givepeasachance.
“The message is very simple,” says Bacon. “If more pulses are eaten, more will be grown and that’s great news for health and for the environment.”
Pulse Canada is the national association representing pulse growers, processors and traders. Direction and funding is provided by Alberta Pulse Growers Commission, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Manitoba Pulse Growers Association, the Ontario Bean Producers Marketing Board, Ontario Coloured Bean Growers and the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA). Over the last 20 years, Canada’s pulse industry has become a world leader in pulse production, research and exports. Today, Canada is the world’s largest exporter, selling to more than 150 countries around the globe, and one of the world’s largest pulse producers.
As we can see how the people of many countries in the world live well on primarily eating pulses, and many tribes of the Native Americans, had a primary diet of “The Three Sisters”, beans, squash and cord (maize), and apparently that kind of diet is one of the best possible ones.
Personally, I think that we should be eating more pulses rather than meat from which to get our protein – and no, I am not a vegetarian – as this is a much greener option.
For more information, visit www.pulsecanada.com. The website also has a collection of recipes of how to use pulses in your cooking and diet and how to cook and use pulses.
© 2009
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