Why So Many People Are Livin' the #LentilLife

#VeggieRead #LentilLife #cashewcafe #plantbased #MinimalistBaker #sponsored Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Sundae Sundays- who doesn't like a little alliteration in life? This is the first post in the #VeggieRead series, and we'd love to get feedback from loyal readers like you. Fill out a quick questionnaire at the bottom, tell us if you like the content we're sharing, and we'll give you a discount code to use the next time you dine in! This week's featured veggie on #VeggieRead is in honor of the New Year, traditionally a very lucky legume: lentils. For those who are looking for a healthier lifestyle, a great way to save money, and a pantry staple that is actually good for the environment, lentils will be your best friend. Keep reading to learn about why you should go buy a bag of these gems right. now. ;)

Why show so much love to lentils?

• If you didn't already know, every single nutrient found in a non-vegan diet can be found in a plant-based one. That's right- vegans and vegetarians are all set with their proteins, despite the common misconception! Lentils cover a plethora of nutrients including potassium, folic acid, calcium, and magnesium. They're highly regarded for their abilities in heart health, as they naturally encourage lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease. Eat a 3/4 cup of a legume like lentils each day for a healthy heart.

• As much as they are heart-healthy, lentils can also support a healthy planet. Growing lentils entails less water when it comes to irrigation, making for a low water overall footprint compared to other vegetables and legumes. The legume is often rotated with other cereal crops, helping to enrich the soil, mitigate erosion, reduce disease infestation, and help control weeds without extra fertilizers.

• A not-so-fun fact: Lentil growers typically use a multitude of pesticides on the crop. Chemical drying agents make sure everything is in line for a good harvest, meaning the lentils are mature and dry enough. Herbicides like glyphosate and Reglone are used to progress the drying process and for weed control, while insecticides can help limit pests. This is why it is so crucial to reach for organic lentils whenever possible, so that all you're putting into your body is the hearty goodness of the legume without the chemicals.

• A very impressive quality about lentils is how long they can last in storage when dried. There is essentially no seasonality to this handy legume because a container of them can last up to four years when dry stored. Lentils are quite low-maintenance right off the bat when they're growing, as well; they flourish in cold weather and grow low to the ground.

• They're extremely affordable. You can get the nutritional value, the heart health, the environmental benefit, and the unbeatable shelf-life of lentils for less than a dollar per pound.

If all this food talk doesn't get your stomach growling, we don't know what will! With that, here is a bonus: you can get the best lentil soup out there right in our restaurant as a part of our Winter entrée lineup. This soup is CC founder Michelle Nadler's weekly staple for a good reason.

Abundant with all kinds of hearty veggie surprises, the one-pot soup recipe can be credited to our friends at MinimalistBaker.com. Look out for an exclusive Youtube video coming up this week on MinimalistBaker's Youtube channel, which will feature MinimalistBaker's Founder Dana Schultz making delicious lentil recipes in Cashew Café's very own kitchen.

Share your own #LentilLife recipes with us on Instagram! Tag us @cashew.cafe, and use the hashtag #LentilLife.

Reward your tastebuds and UNLOCK your Cashew Café discount by taking this questionnaire.

Created with and sponsored by: MinimalistBaker.com