Me, legumes and the year of the pulse. Also, gastric distress

Sometimes I think I’m in a race to the bottom to see how much money I can save on groceries without compromising healthy food. 

Yes, it is a problem especially with food prices rising again according to the CBC. I can still buy meat if I wanted – two chicken breasts can be two to four meals depending on how I cook them. A pack of lean ground beef can also be a few meals as well.

Still groceries are expensive so like most Canadians I’m trying to see where I can cut back. That means reacquainting myself with legumes. It is, after all, the year of the pulse. Fortunately I like legumes. Nothing like pigeon peas, brown rice and stew chicken or a good vegetarian chili or a split pea soup. Oh, now I want French onion soup even if there are no legumes in it. Legumes are comparatively cheap and if you buy the dry ones, they’re even cheaper and all you have to do is soak them before you cook them.

And deal with the gastric distress as a work colleague delicately put it. Yes, consuming legumes do lead to gas. All I know is that the more you eat them, the more your body adjusts to them and the less gas you have to deal with. Another suggestion is adding a pinch of baking soda to the pot while cooking. The theory is the bicarbonate would ‘de-gas’ the legumes. I have no idea if this true or not. Let me know in the comments.

So the year of the pulse. I’m into it. I’ve been mining Pinterest for recipe ideas and stocking up on soup stock when it’s on sale and tucking bags of dried legumes into my pantry.

I just can’t get into a lentil burger though. It really doesn’t taste the same.