Dietary proteins, as essential nutrients, play a decisive role in maintaining a good state of health.
The most complete ones are of animal origin, but today we know that vegetables can also contribute to the achievement of protein nutritional requirements.
In this case, by combining legumes and cereals, and varying the type, it is possible to maintain a good dietary balance. This is because legumes boast a decidedly interesting protein content, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, and also provide many other nutrients that participate in maintaining the nutritional balance.
To overcome the long preparation times of raw legumes, especially in dried form, today there are also some food products on the market that are as valid as they are practical, such as, for example, pasta made from legume flour, ready in a few minutes.
, lentils, peas, beans, broad beans, soy, lupine, cicerchie.
In the Mediterranean diet, legumes play a role of primary importance: they should in fact be consumed at least twice a week in considerable portions, for example as a first course, even in the form of legume flour pasta.
Furthermore, they are a source of starch - therefore calories -, proteins of medium biological value, "good" fats, B vitamins, minerals (iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium) and other beneficial nutritional factors (fibers, lecithins, phytosterols).
The raw ones contain potentially anti-nutritional molecules, which however are partially disposed of by soaking - in the case of dry ones - or in any case denatured by cooking.
. There are countless types of proteins, with equally infinite biological functions.
