Despite what you might be thinking, legume is not a new type of perfume or a fancy way to wear a scarf. It’s actually a term that includes dried beans, peas and lentils (oh, and peanuts too!).

You’re likely familiar with legumes like chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans but you might be less familiar with beans like adzuki and cannellini. Legumes come in a variety of shapes, flavours and colours but they all contain fibre, plant-based protein and minerals like iron and magnesium. You can find a variety of nutritious legumes at your local Kardish!

The bitter cold days of February can cause us to crave rich, hearty soups and stews. The hours spent in traffic and shoveling at the end of the day leaves little desire to make a healthy dinner. That’s why canned organic beans byEden Foods are a great alternative to dried legumes which take hours to soak and cook.

What’s special about Eden beans is that they are cooked in kombu seaweed, which helps to make the beans more digestible. Eden beans are also packaged in BPA free cans.  If you have the time to prepare dried beans by soaking and maybe every sprouting then you will be able to harness even more of their nutritional benefits.

Take a look at some of the delicious recipes we’ve tried using the power of legumes:

Try this wonderful recipe for  Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup by local chef and nutritionist, Amy Longard.

Maybe this Crock Pot Chickpea Curry for the evenings when kids have hockey practice.

Or how about legumes for dessert with theseGluten-Free Black Bean Brownies!

Whether you decide to go the easy (but still delicious) route of canned beans or the slow, thoughtful way of sprouting, legumes make a great addition to any dinner plate.

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Incorporate more legumes into your diet and learn how to eat healthy all winter long! Feel free to share your thoughts below, and send photos of your favourite legume lovin’ dishes toTwitter andFacebook.