Legumes belong to the pulse family. The
seeds and pods are used in succulent form as
vegetables, but only the mature, dried seed
will be considered here. They include the
different varieties of beans, — navy, lima, kid¬
ney, chili, pinto, and soy, — lentils, and peas, —
cow peas, black-eyed peas, and the green
peas used in split form for soups. Peanuts
also belong botanically to this group, al¬
though they are usually thought of as nuts,
since their composition resembles that of the
nuts more than that of the legumes.
Nuts are the seeds of certain trees. The
kernel, which is enclosed in a hard shell, is
the edible portion. The most common
varieties are almonds, Brazil nuts, butter-
Dried Legumes Are Important in Low-Cost
Diets • These are among the preferred kinds
U.S.D.A.
nuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts, filberts or
hazelnuts, hickory nuts, pecans, pine nuts,
pistachios, and the different varieties of
walnuts.
COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIVE
VALUE
Dried legumes and nuts are good sources
of protein; in some, the protein content is
comparable to that found in lean meat,
poultry, fish, eggs, and cheese. The proteins
in legumes are, in general, not as efficient as
those from animal sources. Legume proteins
as a group are low in the amounts of certain
important amino acids they contain. Pea¬
nuts and soybeans are exceptions; they con¬
tain proteins comparable in quality to those
from animal proteins. The nut proteins also
are of good quality and are comparable to
animal proteins.
Both legumes and nuts contain some car¬
bohydrate, largely in the form of starch.
The legumes, with the exception of peanuts
and soybeans, are more than half starch.
The nuts, except chestnuts, contain less
(carbohydrate) — from 7 to 17 per cent.
Chestnuts are rich in starch. They contain
74 per cent total carbohydrate, most of
which is starch.
The legumes as a group are low in fat.
The exceptions are soybeans and peanuts.
Nuts, on the other hand, with the exception
of chestnuts, are extremely high in fat; some
contain over 50 per cent. Pecans may have
as much as 70 per cent fat.
Both legumes and nuts are good sources of
minerals, especially calcium, iron, and phos¬
phorus. The base-forming elements pre-
[256]
Protein Food
Water
Protein
Fat
Carbo-
Ash
Fuel Value
hydrate
per Pound
Dried navy beans .
12.6
22.5
1.8
59.6
3.5
1,564
Dried Lima beans .
10.4
18.1
1.5
65.9
4.1
1,586
Dried peas .
9.5
24.6
1.0
62.0
2.9
1,612
Table L •
Dried cowpeas .
13.0
21.4
1.4
60.8
3.4
1,550
Composition
Lentils .
8.4
25.7
1.0
59.2
5.7
1,581
Soybeans .
7.5
33.0
21.0
29.6
5.0
1,993
of Legumes
Peanuts .
9.2
25.8
38.6
24.4
2.0
2,490
and Nuts
Chestnuts (dried) .
5.9
10.7
7.0
74.2
2.2
1,828
Almonds .
4.8
21.0
54.9
17.3
2.0
2,940
( Edible Portion )
Brazil nuts .
5.3
17.0
66.8
7.0
3.9
3,162
Filberts .
3.7
15.6
65.3
13.0
2.4
3,185
Hickory nuts .
3.7
15.4
67.4
11.4
2.1
3,238
Pecans .
2.7
9.6
70.5
15.3
1.9
3,330
Pistachios .
4.2
22.3
54.0
16.3
3.2
2,905
California walnuts .
2.5
18.4
64.4
13.0
1.7
3,200
Black walnuts .
2.5
27.6
56.3
11.7
1.9
3,012
Page 230
Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Legumes belong to the pulse family. The seeds and pods are used in succulent form as vegetables, but only the mature, dried seed will be considered here. They include the different varieties of beans, — navy, lima, kid¬ ney, chili, pinto, and soy, — lentils, and peas, — cow peas, black-eyed peas, and the green peas used in split form for soups. Peanuts also belong botanically to this group, al¬ though they are usually thought of as nuts, since their composition resembles that of the nuts more than that of the legumes.
Nuts are the seeds of certain trees. The kernel, which is enclosed in a hard shell, is the edible portion. The most common varieties are almonds, Brazil nuts, butter-
Dried Legumes Are Important in Low-Cost Diets • These are among the preferred kinds
nuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts, filberts or hazelnuts, hickory nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and the different varieties of walnuts.
Dried legumes and nuts are good sources of protein; in some, the protein content is comparable to that found in lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and cheese. The proteins in legumes are, in general, not as efficient as those from animal sources. Legume proteins as a group are low in the amounts of certain important amino acids they contain. Pea¬ nuts and soybeans are exceptions; they con¬ tain proteins comparable in quality to those from animal proteins. The nut proteins also are of good quality and are comparable to animal proteins.
Both legumes and nuts contain some car¬ bohydrate, largely in the form of starch. The legumes, with the exception of peanuts and soybeans, are more than half starch. The nuts, except chestnuts, contain less (carbohydrate—from 7 to 17 per cent. Chestnuts are rich in starch. They contain 74 per cent total carbohydrate, most of which is starch.
The legumes as a group are low in fat. The exceptions are soybeans and peanuts. Nuts, on the other hand, with the exception of chestnuts, are extremely high in fat; some contain over 50 per cent. Pecans may have as much as 70 per cent fat.
Both legumes and nuts are good sources of minerals, especially calcium, iron, and phos¬ phorus. The base-forming elements pre-
[256]
Protein Food
Water
Protein
Fat
Carbo-
Ash
Fuel Value
hydrate
per Pound
Dried navy beans .
12.6
22.5
1.8
59.6
3.5
1,564
Dried Lima beans .
10.4
18.1
1.5
65.9
4.1
1,586
Dried peas .
9.5
24.6
1.0
62.0
2.9
1,612
Table L •
Dried cowpeas .
13.0
21.4
1.4
60.8
3.4
1,550
Composition
Lentils .
8.4
25.7
1.0
59.2
5.7
1,581
Soybeans .
7.5
33.0
21.0
29.6
5.0
1,993
of Legumes
Peanuts .
9.2
25.8
38.6
24.4
2.0
2,490
and Nuts
Chestnuts (dried) .
5.9
10.7
7.0
74.2
2.2
1,828
Almonds .
4.8
21.0
54.9
17.3
2.0
2,940
( Edible Portion )
Brazil nuts .
5.3
17.0
66.8
7.0
3.9
3,162
Filberts .
3.7
15.6
65.3
13.0
2.4
3,185
Hickory nuts .
3.7
15.4
67.4
11.4
2.1
3,238
Pecans .
2.7
9.6
70.5
15.3
1.9
3,330
Pistachios .
4.2
22.3
54.0
16.3
3.2
2,905
California walnuts .
2.5
18.4
64.4
13.0
1.7
3,200
Black walnuts .
2.5
27.6
56.3
11.7
1.9
3,012