Gone with the wind: How to enjoy beans without getting gassy

They’re tasty, budget-friendly and boast a heap of health benefits. So what’s not to love about versatile pulses like beans, lentils and chickpeas?

For some it’s that a helping of beans comes with a helping of gas, or that they feel uncomfortably bloated after eating them. But that doesn’t mean they have to be permanently off the menu.

Building up your tolerance to pulses by eating small portions of them over time may help, suggests Maretha Vermaak of Milk SA’s Consumer Education Project.

Soaking and rinsing dry pulses before cooking, and rinsing canned varieties well before use, may also put a stop to digestive woes. “This can help to reduce hard-to-digest carbohydrates which could cause flatulence,” says dietician Jessica Byrne.

As an added bonus soaking dry pulses will cut down the cooking time.

Another way to speed things up is to only season your pulses once they’re done. Adding salt at the beginning of a recipe increases the cooking time and hardens the skins, explains registered dietician Mpho Tshukudu.

Now that you know how to make pulses more tummy-friendly, try some of these easy recipes that make the most of affordable lentils, beans and chickpeas:

‘Just So Easy!’ Easy cooking with grains and pulses by AGT Foods  

Roasted tomato & black-eyed bean salad. Get the recipe.

Chickpea & chorizo with sherrySam Linsell of Drizzle and Dip

Chickpea & chorizo stew. Get the recipe.

Spiced roasted chickpeasHein van Tonder 

Spiced roasted chickpeas. Get the recipe.

Green Lentil salad‘Just So Easy!’ Easy cooking with grains and pulses by AGT Foods 

Green lentil, radish & sugar snap pea salad. Get the recipe.

Dukkah-crusted eggs, roasted tomatoes & lentilsHein van Tonder 

Dukkah-crusted eggs, roasted tomatoes & lentils. Get the recipe.

SA’s National Nutrition Week takes place from October 9-15, 2016, and is themed ‘Love your beans – eat dry beans, peas and lentils’.