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Beans & Lentils: Back to Basics

Spring Penne Salad with Lemon and Thyme

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Humble foods like legumes and ancient grains have been around for centuries, nourishing people worldwide. But with those people growing busier and having less time to spend in the kitchen, such “old-school” foods have fallen by the wayside – until now. Thanks to plant-based trends like Meatless Monday, households across the United States are rediscovering nutrient-dense, heritage ingredients like quinoa, beans and lentils – and learning how to bring them to the center of the plate in delicious modern meals.

We know that legumes are nutritional powerhouses, high in protein and fiber, both soluble and insoluble. In fact, a single cup of cooked lentils contains a whopping 18g of protein, 16g of fiber, more than 10% of your daily spring-penne-8edited1recommended serving of several B vitamins, and 90% of folate. Beans and lentils also offer a wealth of necessary minerals like magnesium and iron. We know that legumes make nutritious, flavorful and versatile plant-based substitutes for meat in many popular dishes – and we also know how difficult it can be to introduce them to families not already familiar with how to prepare and enjoy them.

But what if there was a way to package beans and lentils into something more familiar, accessible and appealing to the average American? What if there was a way to make them as easy to prepare and eat as, say, dried pasta?

IMG_3671-23Introducing new Ancient Harvest Bean & Lentil Pastas, with the taste and texture of traditional pasta plus twice the protein and a healthy helping of fiber in every serving. Our Black Bean & Quinoa Supergrain Pasta™ Elbows are simply made of a combination of black bean flour, brown rice flour and organic quinoa flour, while both the Green Lentil & Quinoa Supergrain Pasta™ Penne and Red Lentil & Quinoa Suprgrain Pasta™ Rotelle are made of only lentil and organic quinoa flours – so they’re naturally gluten-free, and packed with superfood nutrition.

All three varieties of our Bean & Lentil Pastas are as easy to make as traditional pasta, and just as delicious. Want proof? Try one of these flavorful, beautiful recipes:

Spring Penne Salad with Lemon and Thyme (made with our Green Lentil & Quinoa Penne)

Thai Peanut Macaroni Salad with Black Bean & Quinoa Supergrain Pasta Elbows

Feta Alfredo with Red Lentil & Quinoa Rotelle

For even more gluten-free culinary inspiration, visit the recipes page at AncientHarvest.com. You can also download our digital cookbooks, learn about our other award-winning gluten-free products, find Ancient Harvest near you, and sign up for our newsletter to be kept in the loop on the latest product and brand updates.

And of course, we’re also on social media, serving up some serious culinary inspiration and information. Join the fun on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

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