Is It Really Hard To Differentiate between Lentils and Beans?

The plant family has infinite number of members that are so similar in terms of color, taste, size that it sometimes become very hard to differentiate between any of the two food products. Similar is the case with lentils and beans which most people find it hard to differentiate but belong to the same plant in the family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Before we proceed ahead to find out are lentils beans and the differences between them it would be better to understand that all beans are legumes, but legumes aren’t necessarily beans.

Both lentils and beans are member of the same legume family and are the primary source of calories for numerous people around the world. More particularly both of them are grain legume which means they are basically grown in a meticulous agricultural setting as food for humans. Below are mentioned some very common legumes you can easily find in your kitchen:

• Peanuts
• Peas
• Soybeans
• Alfalfa
• Lentils
• Beans

Lentils and beans looks similar but they too have differences. If you are not a cooking master then you must read below to exactly find out what you are cooking. Let us look at the differences both lentils and beans have:

1. Like said above if you are a cooking master then you must be knowing that lentils are smaller and hence can cook really quickly whereas beans take more time to cook than lentils.

2. Lentils don’t require pre-soaking which means you can bring them home, rinse and straight away start cooking. Lentils generally takes fifteen to twenty minutes on stove.

3. Beans are larger and also tend to hold their shape when they are cooked. This is one of the reasons you see bean tacos more often than a lentil taco.

4. Another difference beans and lentils have is the fiber content. Lentils are more fiber rich than beans.

5. If you cook legume more often then you must be knowing that there are several types of beans and lentils. But there are more legume types classified under the Bean category in comparison to lentil category.

6. Both beans and lentils differ immensely in terms of shape, size, texture, color and taste.

If you look at the differences they are moreover physical and not related to the properties they have. To better understand this it is better to look at the similarities lentils and beans have in common.

1. As we already mentioned above both of them belong to the same legume family.

2. Not many people know that they are highly rich in protein and a great alternative for protein for people who are vegetarian.

3. Eating beans and lentils is very healthy because they are full of healthy nutrients and minerals.

4. Eating beans and lentils help people stabilize blood sugar levels because both these legume prevent extreme increase in body insulin.

5. Eating beans and lentils increases memory and brain function because both of them have thiamin.

Though there is a slight difference between lentils and beans but they are very healthy and you must include them in your diet.