Pulses. Ariel Núñez Guzmán / Pixabay.com / 2014 / CC0 1.0
World Pulses Day is the 2nd of February.
It celebrates the food staples that we know as lentils, dried beans and dried peas.
These ingredients feature in dishes in almost every culinary tradition, from hummus to baked beans to refried beans, and there are many delicious ways to prepare them.
Pulses (the collective word for these food items) are jam-packed with nutrients including protein, are high in fiber, and provide an affordable, accessible form of nutrition which helps to contribute to food security in many cultures. [1]While pulses are rich in protein, it is an incomplete protein on its own, so if you are eating vegan or vegetarian, also have something from the whole grain family at the same meal to get a complete protein. Owing to all the protein and fibre in them helping to keep you feeling fuller, for longer, pulses can help combat obesity. In fact, Weight Watchers® as of 2019 made them zero point (“eat as much as you want”) foods on one of their weight management plans people can choose from. [2]While pulses certainly are a powerhouse food, beware marketing and blogger attempts to classify them as superfoods, if only because there really is no such thing as a superfood.
Just the act of growing them improves soil fertility naturally, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Benefits of pulses. FAO.
For these and other reasons, pulses have been deemed to have an important role in working towards the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In Canada, the U.S. and Australia, pulse production happens on large scale with machinery, providing economics of scale. In sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, pulse production happens on small independent farms. [3]Ben-Belhassen, Boubaker and Vikas Rawal. A Global Perspective on Pulse Production. Pulse Pod. 10 February 2020. Accessed May 2021 at https://pulsepod.globalpulses.com/pod-feed/post/a-global-perspective-on-pulse-production
#LovePulses #WorldPulsesDay
Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/events/1094997408482770945 and https://twitter.com/LovePulses
Websites: https://worldpulsesday.org and https://pulses.org
See also: Dried Beans, Legumes, Lentils
Activities for Today
- go shopping at a market and just take note of all the different varieties of pulses;
- make something today with pulses;
- try making an Indian dahl — there are many different regional versions;
- or make a split-pea soup;
- try to have pulses for breakfast, lunch and dinner;
- post a photo to social media with the hashtags for today;
- if you’re a teacher, incorporate the topic in today’s subjects or activities;
- donate dried pulses to a food bank;
- if you are ordering out, order something with pulses in it — hummus counts!;
- bring a pulse dish into work to share with others;
- invite friends round for a pulse-centric dinner;
- learn about farming pulses;
- write a blog post about how you celebrated the day.
Recipes
- Carrot and Lentil Soup
- Chickpea Crumble
- Fried Eggs with Bean and Potato Pancakes
- Lentil, Apple & Bacon Soup
- Skinny Southwestern Red Lentil and Roasted Pepper Dip
- Spinach Dahl
History
2016 was the International Year of Pulses. [4]A/RES/68/231. World Pulses Day: 10 February. United Nations. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-pulses-day
Building on the success of that year, the General Assembly of the U.N. declared the 10th of February each year would be World Pulses Day, starting in 2019. [5]Ibid.
Further reading
Incorporating pulses into school lunches: https://www.usapulses.org/schools (Link valid as of May 2021)
Rawal, Vikas, editor. The Global Economy of Pulses. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2019.
Sources
2021 World Pulses Day. UN Food and Agricuture Organization. 2021. Accessed May 2021 at http://www.fao.org/new-york/events/detail/en/c/1370844/
Cross, Jamie. World Pulses Day 2020. Etobicoke, Ontario: Global Medic. 2020. Accessed May 2021 at https://globalmedic.ca/world-pulses-day-2020/
Oosterhuis, Kara. World Pulses Day creates awareness of the global food. Lethbridge, Alberta: RealAgriculture Magazine. 10 February 2021. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.realagriculture.com/2021/02/world-pulses-day-creates-awareness-of-the-global-food/
Soha, Somdatta. World Pulses Day 2021: Date, Theme, Significance And 5 Easy Dal Recipes From Across India. New Delhi Television. 10 February 2021. Accessed May 2021 at https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/world-pulses-day-2021-date-theme-significance-and-5-easy-dal-recipes-from-across-india-2367342
World Pulses Day 2019. USA Pulses. 14 January 2019. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.usapulses.org/consumers/news/world-pulses-day-2019
World Pulses Day 2021. Geneva Environment Network. 10 Feb 2021. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/world-pulses-day-2021/
World Pulses Day 2021. News 18. 10 February 2021. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.news18.com/news/world/world-pulses-day-2021-date-theme-significance-3412667.html
References
| ↑1 | While pulses are rich in protein, it is an incomplete protein on its own, so if you are eating vegan or vegetarian, also have something from the whole grain family at the same meal to get a complete protein. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | While pulses certainly are a powerhouse food, beware marketing and blogger attempts to classify them as superfoods, if only because there really is no such thing as a superfood. |
| ↑3 | Ben-Belhassen, Boubaker and Vikas Rawal. A Global Perspective on Pulse Production. Pulse Pod. 10 February 2020. Accessed May 2021 at https://pulsepod.globalpulses.com/pod-feed/post/a-global-perspective-on-pulse-production |
| ↑4 | A/RES/68/231. World Pulses Day: 10 February. United Nations. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-pulses-day |
| ↑5 | Ibid. |