Grains & legumes
Strong evidenceLentils
7.9 g of fibre and 181 µg of folate per 100 g cooked. The LDL effect is settled across 38 randomised trials.
Lentil and tomato soup
Lentil iron is non-haem and absorbs poorly on its own. The vitamin C in tomato multiplies that absorption.
4 servings35 min
Ingredients
- Dried lentils1 cup (200 g)
- Tomatoes3 (or 1 tin of whole tomatoes)
- Onion1
- Carrot1
- Garlic3 cloves
- Olive oil1 tbsp
- Water or vegetable stock1 L
- Salt and pepperto taste
Method
Mince the garlic and leave it ten minutes. Allicin forms in that window.
Rinse the lentils. Unlike other pulses, they need no soaking.
Heat the olive oil in a pot and cook the onion and carrot for five minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook just thirty seconds more. Garlic turns bitter if cooked long.
Chop in the tomatoes and cook three minutes, crushing them as you go.
Add the lentils and water, bring to the boil, then simmer 20–25 minutes over medium-low heat.
Salt now, at the end. Salt added early toughens the skins and slows the cooking.
Cooking note
There is a reason for this pairing. The 3.3 mg of iron in 100 g of lentils is non-haem, and on its own it absorbs badly. Vitamin C in the same meal raises that absorption substantially, and the tomato does that job. Conversely, coffee or tea within an hour of the meal blocks the same absorption with its tannins. Just push it back an hour.
Ingredients used here
Vegetables
Early researchTomato
Cooked beats raw here. Heat multiplies how much lycopene your body can actually absorb.
Vegetables
Moderate evidenceOnion
Onion's antioxidant quercetin concentrates in the outer layers. Peeling two extra layers out of habit throws much of it away.
Vegetables
Moderate evidenceGarlic
The evidence for garlic points to a modest drop in blood pressure and cholesterol. The trick is to crush it and wait ten minutes before it hits the heat.
Vegetables
Moderate evidenceCarrot
Carrot beta-carotene is locked inside tough cell walls. Cooking plus a little fat multiplies how much you absorb.