Coral lentils, split peas, chickpeas…: are pasta made from legumes good for your health?

Pasta is one of the staple foods of many French people. If we generally choose them made from wheat or whole wheat, in recent years we have found many varieties on supermarket shelves. This is how legume pasta is experiencing real growth.

And for good reason, these products represent a real asset for health. With lentils, chickpeas or even split peas: it’s impossible not to find what you’re looking for. But what are their real advantages? Asked by Doctissimodietician-nutritionist Alexandra Murcier looked into the subject.

Let’s start first with the annoying subjects: the negative points of legume pasta. In fact, the specialist highlighted 3 disadvantages compared to traditional pasta. “There is the price: it is undeniable that they are a little more expensive than wheat pasta”. However, this can be easily countered since legume pastas are more filling. As a result, consumers will eat less of it than traditional pasta. On the other hand, you will have to be a little more patient when preparing them since their cooking time is longer than that of wheat pasta. Finally, depending on the person, this pasta can be more difficult to digest since some consumers have difficulty assimilating legumes.

There is no doubt, legume pasta has real health benefits according to the expert: “They allow you to keep the pleasure of a pasta dish, but with the nutritional advantages of legumes”.

Indeed, they are rich in proteins and fibers and ensure a balanced meal: “thanks to legumes they (legume pasta editor’s note) have a lower glycemic index than wheat pasta. In addition, it is interesting if you pay attention to your weight or if you are diabetic, because this will lead to less variation in blood sugar and this allows you to diversify your diet.

But to benefit from their benefits, you still need to know how to eat them correctly: “To consume them in a balanced way, they must be combined with vegetables, in equivalent quantities” indicates Alexandra Murcier.

In recent times, gluten intolerance has become more and more present among consumers. The advantage with these pastes is that they do not contain: “For people suffering from gluten intolerance, celiac disease or for all people who want to reduce this intake in their diet, this provides an alternative” says the dietician.