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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know ENTERTAINMENT 18 LIFESTYLE July 11, 2025 Want To Eat Healthier? Add Half A Cup Of This Food To Your Daily Diet F or many people who struggle to eat a healthy diet, the biggest barrier is often cost: Nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood tend to be a lot more expensive than ultra-processed foods. But that’s not always the case. Some of the most nutritious foods on earth are also among the most affordable: beans, peas and lentils, collectively known as pulses. Pulses are high in protein and fiber. They promote gut health, help with weight loss, and improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Studies have also found that beans, peas and lentils have a low carbon footprint. Health authorities recommend that adults eat one to three cups of beans, peas or lentils each week, depending on your calorie needs. Yet most Americans fall short of that goal, consuming on average just a half cup of beans each week, said Christopher Gardner, the director of nutri- tion studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. “That’s an insanely small amount, given that beans, peas and lentils are such a powerhouse of protein and fiber and other nutrients,” he added. Gardner was part of a government committee of nutrition experts that issued a report in December that said that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should emphasize beans, peas and lentils as a healthy source of protein and a good sub- stitute for red and processed meat. He said that adults should aim to eat at least a half cup of beans, peas or lentils per day – rather than per week. “We should be doubling and tripling our bean intake – we should be eating them every day,” Gardner said. “Nutrient- wise they have all of the good stuff and none of the bad stuff – and they tend to be a lot less expensive than other foods. There are few foods that cost as little as beans, peas and lentils.” HOW EATING BEANS CAN MAKE YOU HEALTH- IER Pulses are the dried edible seeds found in the pods of a group of plants called legumes, which are among the oldest cultivated crops on earth. Across the globe, nearly every culture includes some type of pulse or legume in their traditional cuisine. That may be in part because of their nutrient density. Pulses typically have several times more protein and fiber than brown rice, corn, wheat and other grains. A single cup of cooked lentils, for example, has 18 grams of protein, the amount in three large eggs. Yet unlike animal foods, they’re naturally free of cholesterol and low in saturated fat. All pulses are high in fiber and rich in nutrients such as iron, potassium, mag- nesium and B vitamins. A cup of cooked lentils has 16 grams of fiber – more than half the recommended daily amount of fiber that the average adult needs. In 2020, a systematic review of random- ized controlled trials found that adults who were assigned to eat an average of about a half-cup of cooked beans, peas or lentils daily had striking improvements in their cardiovascular, gut and metabolic health. They lost weight, shrank their waistlines and lowered their cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They also had reductions in inflammation and positive changes in their gut micro- biomes. The researchers speculated that the health benefits were in large part a result of the ample amounts of fiber in pulses. Beans, peas and lentils contain a special type of fiber called resistant starch, which gets its name because it resists digestion in the small intestine. Resistant starch travels down to the large intestine, where it’s metabolized by gut bacteria that con- vert it into health-promoting compounds such as short-chain fatty acids. The authors of the review also looked into potential downsides. Although beans have a reputation for causing flatulence, the researchers found that cases of gastro- intestinal discomfort were fairly rare and not severe. “None of the participants with- drew from the studies because of these symptoms,” the researchers noted. If you are concerned about gastroin- testinal issues, though, one of the best things you can do is to gradually increase the amount of beans, peas and lentils in your diet. This will give your body time to adjust to the increase in fiber, and as your tolerance rises, any initial increase in flatulence should dissipate, said Chris Damman, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center at the University ofWashington Medical Center and the au- thor of Gut Bites MD, a blog on gut health and nutrition. “The mantra is to go low and go slow,” he added. BETTER FOR YOUR BUDGET AND THE ENVIRON- MENT Damman said that when people ask him what they should eat to improve their health, he recommends beans, peas and lentils “above all other foods,” for both their nutrient content and their low cost. “They’re a superfood,” he said. “They’re healthy, but they’re also affordable – and that’s really important right now with inflation and today’s economy.” Studies have found that pulses are among the lowest-cost sources of protein, with their average prices significantly below that of chicken, beef, pork, turkey, seafood, nuts, seeds and lamb. They’re also less expensive than eggs. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, a pound of dried beans on average costs about $1.70, compared with about $6 for a pound of ground beef, roughly $4.20 for a pound of chicken breast and at least $4.60 for a dozen large eggs. Researchers have found that beans, peas and lentils are among the most af- fordable nutrient-rich foods worldwide. And they have a lower environmental footprint than other protein-rich foods. Growing pulses uses less water and pro- duces fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared with meat production. It also improves soil quality, which reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. HOW TO EAT MORE BEANS, PEAS AND LENTILS One of the simplest ways to include more pulses in your diet is to add them to your favorite meals. “You don’t have to change very much if you’re just adding them to the foods that you’re already eating,” said Jill Weisen- berger, a registered dietitian nutritionist and the author of “Prediabetes: A Com- plete Guide, Second Edition.” Here are some examples: Eating eggs for breakfast? Pair them with black beans, alone or in breakfast burritos. If you’re having a sandwich for lunch, add some chickpeas by spreading hum- mus on your bread instead of mayon- naise. If you’re having chicken salad, open a can of white beans and mix some in. “Soft white cannellini beans are really good with tuna or chicken salad,”Weisenberger said. Just make sure to rinse the beans first, which helps to remove sodium, she added. If you’re making a salad, open a can of cooked beans, peas or lentils and toss a couple spoonfuls in. If you’re having pasta with tomato sauce for dinner, open a can of kidney beans and mix some in. The taste and tex- ture of the kidney beans will complement the sauce, Weisenberger said. Making chili, soup or stew for a big family dinner? Smash some white beans, and add them to the pot. The smashed beans will thicken up your stew, soup or chili, and no one will even realize they’re in there, Weisenberger said. Anytime you’re making a recipe with ground beef, replace some of the beef with cooked brown lentils to stretch the meat and add some fiber and extra nutrients. Brown lentils have a mild flavor, and they resemble the appearance and texture of cooked ground beef. Try adding the cooked lentils in a 2-to-1 ratio with the ground beef (2 cups of cooked lentils for each pound of cooked ground beef). You can do this to make burgers, Bolognese, taco meat and even sloppy joes. With so many varieties of beans, peas and lentils, there are endless ways to con- sume them. You can use hummus as a dip for chips and veggies or snack on roasted chickpeas instead of potato chips. (You can roast them at home on a baking sheet, or buy them online or at your grocery store.) If you’re making food at home, there is almost always a way to add beans, peas or lentils to your meal, Weisenberger said. “You can eat them with Mexican flavors, Italian flavors, Asian flavors,” she added. “One of the best things about them is that they’re so versatile. I think that’s something a lot of people forget.” - TheWashington Post By Anahad O’Connor 25 Years Of KBC: Big B Remembers First Episode With Heartfelt Post T he much-loved quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crore- pati (KBC) ‘, hosted by legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, completed 25 years on Thursday. The show first aired on July 3, 2000, and quickly became one of India’s most popular TV programs. On this special occasion, Amitabh, who has been the face of the show since its beginning, shared an emo- tional message. While preparing for the new season, the 81-year-old actor took a moment to reflect on the show’s long journey. Bachchan also took to his blog to speak about how the day began like any other, and he had no idea it was such a big milestone until the team informed him. “Jaldi so jao kaam pr jaana hai; kaam bhi jaldi aarambh hoga, samay pe jaana hai. (Go to sleep early, have to go to work; work will start early too, have to be on time.) at work, on shoot for KBC work, July 3, 2025, Thu 5:30 pm, did not realise. just came to know from the KBC team that. TODAY, 3rd July 2025, 25 years ago. on 3 July 2000. the very first broadcast of KBC took place. goodness 25 years. just went by. Kuch pata hi nahi chala, aur 25 varsh, saal guzar gaye (Didn’t even realise, and 25 years just went by), read his blog post. KBC started as the Indian version of the British show WhoWants to Be a Millionaire?. It was also Amitabh Bachchan’s first TV appearance and gave new life to his career. Over the years, KBC became more than just a quiz show. With touching stories from contestants and Bachchan’s famous line “lock kiya jaye,” the show became a part of people’s lives. - ANI