You’ve probably heard about legumes, pulses, and beans before, but what’s the difference? Let’s clear up the confusion once and for all.
Here’s what you need to know about these fiber-filled treasures, and how you can easily incorporate them into your diet. Legumes, pulses, and beans are words that are often used interchangeably, but there are small differences. Here are some additional insights to clear any confusion.
Difference Between Legumes and Pulses
First and foremost, think of legumes, pulses, and beans in a hierarchy: legumes are the umbrella term, with pulses directly underneath. Beans fall under both of these – beans are legumes and pulses.
What are Legumes?
Legumes include all types and forms of beans and peas that come from the Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) botanical family. In other words, legumes are the umbrella family that all beans, peas, and pulses fall under, and include thousands of varieties grown around the world. The main types of legumes include:
- dry and fresh beans, and soybeans
- dry and fresh peas
- lentils
- chickpeas
- peanuts
All forms of legumes are naturally low in fat and cholesterol, as well as high in fiber and protein. Legumes are also a good source of iron, magnesium, and folate — essential vitamins and minerals needed for a number of bodily functions, including cell growth and formation, bone formation, and immunity.
Up the legume intake for the entire family with these 40 Bean-Based, Family-Friendly Recipes!
What are Pulses?
What’s the difference between pulses and legumes? Pulses are the dried seeds of the legume plants. Not all legumes are pulses. The different types of pulses include:
- dry beans
- dry peas
- chickpeas
- lentils
Hundreds of different varieties of pulses are grown around the globe. The word stems from the latin word puls, meaning seeds that can be made into a thick soup.
Pulses are an affordable source of plant-based protein, with about 2-3 times as much protein per serving as cereal grains such as rice, oats, barley, and wheat. A one-cup serving also has almost half your daily needs of fiber, including both soluble and insoluble fiber, as well as resistant starches. These types of fiber can aid in digestion and help improve gut health and motility. For reference, it is recommended that women aim for 25 grams of fiber per day, and men should aim for 38 grams.
Add a serving of pulses to your morning meal with this Ginger-Tahini Yogurt Bowl with Zucchini and Chickpeas.
What are Beans?
As mentioned before, beans and legumes are often used interchangeably. However, even though beans are legumes, there are other legumes that can not be classified as beans. Beans are also a type of pulse. Some of the most common types of beans include:
- pinto beans
- kidney beans
- great northern beans
- fava beans
- lima beans
- mung beans
- black eyed peas
- cannellini beans
- black beans
- adzuki beans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults consume 3 cups of beans per week, which is equivalent to about a ½ cup serving per day. Research shows that including beans as part of a healthy diet may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers, lower blood pressure, support weight control, and help manage diabetes.
Enjoy beans in a whole new way with this Creamy Chocolate, Cannellini Bean, and Cinnamon Smoothie.
The difference between pulses and legumes, and how beans fit into the mix, is actually quite simple when you look at the big picture. Remember, legumes are at the top of the chain, with pulses as a category of legumes. Beans then fall into both categories of pulses and legumes.
How do you plan to use one of the legumes from the lists above in a meal? Comment below!
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FAQs
Legume is an umbrella category that includes beans, pulses and peanuts. Pulses are the dried seeds from a legume plant, says Zumpano. These include lentils, peas or dried beans.
What is the difference between bean pulse and legume? ›
A legume refers to any plant from the Fabaceae family that would include its leaves, stems, and pods. A pulse is the edible seed from a legume plant. Pulses include beans, lentils, and peas. For example, a pea pod is a legume, but the pea inside the pod is the pulse.
What's the difference between legumes and lentils? ›
Let us look at the differences between legumes, pulses and lentils. Lentils are lens shaped legumes. Pulses are dried seeds of the legumes plants. Legumes are the plants belonging to the Fabaceae family.
What is the difference between pulses and lentils? ›
Lentils are lens shaped seeds. Pulses are dried edible seeds of the legume plants. Red, yellow, brown, green lentils. It is a staple food in Syria, Morocco, Jordan and Turkey.
What is the difference between legumes and grain legumes? ›
Grain legumes generally contain higher concentrations of lipids than cereals. In legumes, lipids are stored in oil bodies in the cotyledons (the bulk of the seed), whereas most oils in cereals are limited to the outer bran layer. Most common legumes contain 1–7% lipid, based on proximate analysis.
What's the difference between beans and lentils? ›
Known for their high levels of protein compared to beans, lentils bring a lot to the plate. While some legumes (think soybeans) are high in fat, lentils are very low in fat. Moreover, lentils and all legumes are true heroes out in the fields where they're grown because they “fix” nitrogen.
What are the different pulses and legumes? ›
LIST OF LENTILS, BEANS, and PULSES
| S.No. | ENGLISH NAME | HINDI NAME |
|---|
| 1 | Yellow split Pigeon peas | Arhar dal, Toor dal, Tuvar dal |
| 2 | Split & skinned green gram, yellow lentils | Moong dal, Mung dal |
| 3 | Red lentils | Lal masoor dal |
| 4 | Split & skinned black gram | Urad dal |
6 more rowsCereals are defined as the harvested grasses, which are cultivated for its starch component. Pulses are defined as the leguminous crop, that is harvested as the dry seed in a pod. It is largely produced. Cereals are highly rich in carbohydrates, it is the major staple food in many countries.
What beans are not considered legumes? ›
In other words: all beans are legumes, but all legumes aren't necessarily beans. This explains, for instance, why green beans aren't actually beans in the technical sense. Because the fruit of the green bean plant is in a pod, green beans are actually just legumes, not beans.
Are chickpeas a legume or lentil? ›
A chickpea is also known as a garbanzo bean, which can cause confusion about whether these pint-sized veggies are peas or beans. Chickpeas, like other peas and beans, are part of the plant family known as legumes. Technically, a chickpea is a pulse, the edible seed inside the pod of a legume plant.
Thanks to the robust flavor, these lentils pair well with meaty veggies and marinated proteins like mushrooms, tofu, and seitan. Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.
Can I eat lentils everyday? ›
Most people can enjoy lentils as part of their regular diet without any concern. But lentils also contain natural compounds called anti-nutrients. These substances bind with nutrients like iron and zinc, making them harder for our bodies to absorb. Soaking and cooking lentils can help reduce this effect.
Is a peanut a legume? ›
Even though "nut" is in its name, a peanut is actually a legume. Like soybeans, lentils, and other legumes, peanuts are edible seeds that grow in pods. Still, most people think of them as nuts, along with tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts.
Is oatmeal a legume? ›
Oats, formally named Avena sativa, is a type of cereal grain from the Poaceae grass family of plants. The grain refers specifically to the edible seeds of oat grass, which is what ends up in our breakfast bowls.
What are the 7 legumes? ›
Legumes
- Lentils.
- Peas.
- Broad beans.
- Chickpeas.
- Soybeans.
- Beans (lima, common)
- Peanuts.
The interesting fact is that the only noticeable difference is lentils are lens-shaped seeds of the Eurasian annual leguminous plant while pulses are edible seeds of plants in the leguminous family.
Which has less carbs beans or lentils? ›
Beans and legumes
Here are the carb counts for 1 cup (160–200 grams) of cooked beans and legumes: Lentils: 39 grams (23 grams net) Peas: 25 grams (16 grams net) Black beans: 41 grams (26 grams net)
What are the healthiest beans for weight loss? ›
But also high on the list are yellow beans, great northern beans, and navy beans. Royal red kidney beans had the best weight loss combination of being low in calories and high in fiber - great for leaving you satisfied with less.
Are baked beans legumes or pulses? ›
Beans are a type of pulse, a term which also includes lentils and peas. A pulse is an edible seed that grows in a pod. The bean that's used in baked beans is usually the haricot bean. Pulses have many health benefits and it's so easy to get more of them in your meals – and they're cheap, too.
What does pulse mean beans? ›
Pulse vs. Legume – What's the Difference? Pulses are part of the legume family (any plants that grow in pods), but the term “pulse” refers only to the dry edible seed within the pod. Beans, lentils, chickpeas and split peas are the most common types of pulses.
MPSG includes soybeans in their portfolio because they are a legume and agronomically, they grow like a pulse – they are able to fix their own nitrogen and their seeds grow in pods. Soybeans are primarily processed for their oil, which is used in salad dressings, margarine, vegetable oil and shortening.
What are the three types of legumes? ›
Legumes are a type of vegetable that includes beans, peas and lentils, and offer numerous nutritional benefits, such as high fiber and low-fat content. Foods that have been classified as legumes include seeds of plants from the legume family (beans, peas and lentils).
