PRODUCT REVIEW – Organic Black Lentils, 16 oz., 365 by Whole Foods Market from Amazon | Ep 008

🌱 What are black lentils? And why should you know about them? Today, I will compare the ingredients, nutrition information, and pricing between organic black lentils from 365 by Whole Foods Market and Publix dried brown lentils. Then, I will show you how best to cook the black lentils. As a BONUS, I will walk you through an example of a full dinner dish using them. Lastly, I will throw in #SlateSecrets for something special. ⭐

One of the most challenging aspects of being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease is knowing which food items are safer versus ones that can cause increased inflammation and symptoms. The most important thing I want you to hear right now is that --- you are not alone. Today, I am going to review a specific product that will help you to understand at least one food item better when it comes to IBD.

Let’s take a look at organic black lentils from 365 by Whole Foods Market. This is a product you can buy directly from Whole Foods, as well as order online from Amazon.

What are black lentils? And why should you know about them?

Black lentils, sometimes referred to as “Beluga” lentils, are thought to be the most flavorful type of lentils. They are actually a type of brown lentil, that are black, smaller, with an earthy flavor. They tend to hold their shape well, depending on which ratio of water to dried lentils you use and how long you cook them.  

To better understand where black lentils stack up against other types of lentils, let’s make a comparison with brown lentils. Simply for comparison purposes, here are dried brown lentils from Publix.

First, let’s look at the ingredients for both. When you are in the middle of a flare, one of the pillars of the IBD Vegan diet is what I call “single ingredient foods”. This means that you are using fresh produce where you have selected each safer food item in the produce section. Here, you know exactly what is in your grocery basket because, for example, a carrot is a carrot. There is nothing combined to make processed food. Similarly, with dried goods, you are looking at labels that either have a single ingredient or a combination of ingredients that each are on the “safer food items” list. This way, you can ensure a better outcome when shopping for groceries.

So, if we look at the black lentils, we see that the only ingredient is “organic black lentils.” This is excellent because safer food items that are single ingredient foods are best. Now, if we look at the ingredients from the Publix dried brown lentils, we see that the only ingredient is “lentils.” At this point, the primary difference is that black lentils are certified organic and non GMO.

Second, let’s look at the nutrition labels for both. With the black lentils, we see that the total fat is zero grams, which is excellent, primarily because with the FODMAP research (Monash University, 2019) we know that high levels of saturated fat can cause IBD symptoms. Now, if we look at the total fat for the Publix dried brown lentils, we see that the total fat is a ½ of a gram. Since both the saturated fat and trans fat are at zero grams, we don’t know if the ½ gram of fat is coming from monounsaturated fat, which is a good fat, or from polyunsaturated fat, which releases toxins into our system (Shanahan, 2024, pp. 11-14). If you want to learn more about polyunsaturated fats, check out Dr. Shanahan’s book “Dark Calories”. I will put a link down in the description. At this point, we can tell that black lentils are a known healthier choice when it comes to IBD.

Cholesterol and sugar content for both are the same at zero micrograms.

But, if we take a look at sodium, the black lentils have zero micrograms, whereas the  Publix dried brown lentils have 10 micrograms of sodium. Here, if you are watching your sodium intake (remember we do need some each day), then black lentils are the better option.

If we look at dietary fiber per serving, the black lentils have 5 grams as opposed to the Publix dried brown lentils that have 7 grams. When you are in the middle of a flare, it is better to have less insoluble fiber than more (Crohn’s & Colitis of Canada, 2023; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, n.d.). This might seem contradictory to conventional wisdom that says more fiber is better for improved digestion. While that is true, it relates to a healthy digestive tract, and not one with IBD. When you are in the middle of a flare, less fiber gives your digestive tract the break it needs to heal faster from ulcerations caused by inflammation. So, for this reason, black lentils are the better option.

Now, if we take a look at protein, the black lentils have 11 grams compared to the Publix dried brown lentils that have only 8 grams. Anyone embarking on a vegan diet must ensure they get enough protein each day. In this case, black lentils are the better option, where 25% of the total calories are from protein (Shanahan, 2024, pp. 270-271).

Third, when comparing the price between the two products, 16 ounces of the Publix dried brown lentils are slightly less expensive than 16 ounces of the organic black lentils from 365 by Whole Foods. Since prices vary often, I encourage you to compare prices when you shop.

Now, let’s take a look at how best to cook the black lentils.

An important side note: For cooking and reading nutrition label purposes, a serving size is considered to be ¼ cup or 46 grams of dried lentils. But, remember that when it comes to considering FODMAPs for an IBD diet, when you are in a flare, the portion limit size is ¼ cup or 46 grams of cooked black lentils (Monash University, 2019). 

Here, I am going to cook 1 cup or 184 grams of dried black lentils because I have other people to feed, and I also want to have some as leftovers for later. A very important reminder is that black lentils are a nutrient-dense legume. Since lectin in legumes can cause inflammation, we want to reduce the lectin content by cooking them in the pressure cooker (Gundry, 2018, p. 26). This goes for all legumes. Not cooking legumes in a pressure cooker increases the likelihood of triggering IBD symptoms.

Now, the cooking instructions call for 3 cups of water to 1 cup of lentils. I find that, for me, that is too much water which makes them too mushy when using the pressure cooker. So, for this example, I reduced the amount of water to 2 cups or 240 milliliters / 240 grams to 1 cup or 184 grams of dried black lentils. Next, I put all the ingredients into the pressure cooker, on high, using the “bean” setting, which is 20 minutes. You can increase or decrease the amount of water you use according to your desired texture.

While the lentils cook, we will need something else to go with them for this meal since the single portion size limit is only ¼ cup or 46 grams of cooked black lentils. Today, I have decided to add roasted sweet potatoes. For this, I pre-heat the oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, I take 2 raw American sweet potatoes, peel them, and set aside the peelings for something else. Be sure to stay to the end of this segment for fun bonus material of how to use the peelings. After peeling them, I cut them into ½ inch to 1 inch pieces; yes, I know a proper chef would freak out at the inconsistency of the chopped sizes, I am aware. Then I add 2 grams of appropriate oil, like olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and mix to coat the pieces thoroughly. Finally, I place them on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remember that the single portion size limit for cooked sweet potatoes is ½ cup or 75 grams (Monash University, 2019).

Once the black lentils are cooked, I remove them from the pressure cooker and set them aside in a sealed container. Now, I want to add some rice to this dish since when you are in the middle of a flare, rice is one of the handful of safer food items that can help to improve IBD symptoms. There are a lot of nuances of which rice varieties are safer food items or not. Just one example is that when you have IBD, your body cannot digest long-grain rice. So some of my former go-tos like Jasmine and Basmati rice are both long-grain varieties that I know my system can’t properly digest when I am in the middle of a flare. That leaves us with short-grain and medium-grain rice. However, there are some varieties of both that your body cannot digest when you have IBD. So, in this case, I chose a short-grain, Japanese Sweet Rice. As a side note, use the water ratio recommended on the packaging since shot-grain, medium-grain, and long-grain rice varieties all have different water ratio requirements. Okay, so I cooked the rice in the pressure cooker (after cleaning it from the black lentils, of course) and cooked it for 12 minutes on the rice setting.

Next, I wanted to make something that would bring a lot of concentrated flavor to this dish. I chose a vegan olive tapenade. Remember, that when you have IBD, you cannot digest raw vegetables, herbs, and spices, with only a few exceptions. So, in a saucepan over medium heat, I sauteed 1 fresh, chopped basil leaf; 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped parsley with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once that had been cooked, I poured the contents into a small 2 cup capacity food processor. Then I added the following: 1 cup or 200 grams of pitted, drained, brine-cured Kalamata olives; 1/8 cup or 43 grams of olive oil; 3 tablespoons of rinsed, brine-packed capers; 2 tablespoons of garlic infused oil ==>

[Quick side note: garlic is high in FODMAPs (Monash University, 2019) and unsafe in any quantity if you have IBD. I don’t know about you, but there is no way I could give up the flavor profile of garlic. So, the safer substitution is this… Take the scapes of a garlic plant, this will be the green shoots that grow above ground – this part of the plant is safer when you have IBD – put the garlic scapes into a bottle of appropriate oil, like olive oil. After it has infused long enough, you will have garlic flavored oil that you can cook with.]

Back to the tapenade, then add 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice; ½ teaspoon of ground, black peppercorn; and ½ teaspoon of salt. Using the food processor, pulse until you have the desired consistency. Serve the vegan olive tapenade at room temperature, remembering that the single portion size limit is ½ cup or 100 grams.

Next, I wanted to add healthy fat and some creaminess to this dish, so I cut an avocado into lengthwise slices. Remember that the single portion size limit is 1/8 of an avocado (Monash University, 2019). Finally, drizzle a bit of lemon or lime juice over the sliced avocado and it is then complete. 

Here is the final dish. As you can see, we have a variety of flavors and textures in these safer food items, making it a great option for either lunch or dinner by incorporating black lentils.

So, I give the black lentils a very positive review.

Oh, I almost forgot! Here are the #SlateSecrets… Remember those sweet potato skins we saved earlier? If you have a dog, you can make a super easy, healthy dog treat out of them.

So, I take those sweet potato peelings (without any oil) and put them on a pizza pan because it has holes in the bottom, but you could use just a regular baking sheet too. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit, pop them in the oven for up to 20 minutes, and voila you have a tasty dog treat. We have a standard Schnauzer named “Slate.” He absolutely loves these!

This is IBD Vegan. I am your host, Alexis, and I want you to remember, it is possible to become more educated, resilient, and feel empowered for a better quality of life. 

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AFFILIATE LINKS DISCLAIMER

🔗 The description of this video may contain affiliate links, which means that if you buy one of the products that I recommend, I’ll receive a small commission without any additional cost for you. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue making videos like this. Thank you for your support!

ð Organic Black Lentils, 16 oz. - https://amzn.to/4h6E80s

ð “Dark Calories” book - https://amzn.to/3Fx7bgI

ð “The Plant Paradox Cookbook” book - https://amzn.to/4ivMLD9

ð Cuisinart 3-cup Mini Chopper - https://amzn.to/4kyIzUW

ð Croc-Pot 8-Quart Multi-Use - https://amzn.to/424gCNj

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In case you missed it, here is an introduction to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that you may find helpful:

🎥 “What is IBD?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2q3umXPZa4  

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CHAPTERS

⏲️ 00:00 Introduction

⏲️ 01:10 Channel intro (short)

⏲️ 01:17 What are black lentils? And why should you know about them?

⏲️ 01:55 Ingredient comparison

⏲️ 02:40 Nutrition label comparison

⏲️ 05:42 Pricing comparison

⏲️ 06:02 Best way to cook black lentils

⏲️ 07:45 BONUS dinner dish walkthrough using black lentils

⏲️ 12:59 Black Lentils final review

⏲️ 13:05 #SlateSecrets for something special

⏲️ 13:44 Building resilience for a better quality of life

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QUESTIONS?

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HEALTH DISCLAIMER

⚠️ This content is not meant to replace medical or other professional advice. We strongly encourage you to seek advice from a registered dietitian, medical doctor, or other professional for your specific needs, if necessary.  

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REFERENCES

🗎 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (n.d.). 5 Sample Menus for Gradually Increasing Fiber. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

🗎 Crohn’s & Colitis of Canada. (2023). Eating and Drinking with IBD. Crohn’s & Colitis of Canada. https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/About-Crohn-s-Colitis/IBD-Journey/Diet-and-Nutrition-in-IBD/Eating-and-Drinking-with-IBD

🗎 Gundry, S. R. (2018). The Plant Paradox Cookbook. Harper Wave, HarperCollinsPublishers.

🗎 Monash University. (2019). High and Low FODMAP Foods. Monash University. https://www.monashfodmap.com/about-fodmap-and-ibs/high-and-low-fodmap-foods/

🗎 Shanahan, S. (2024). Dark Calories: How vegetable oils destroy our health and how we can get it back. Hachette Book Group of Hachette Books.

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PHOTO CREDITS

📷 Some images were generated with Adobe Firefly. Other images may have been sourced from iStock with a royalty free license through InVideo Studio. Some images may have been sourced through Unsplash with a royalty free license and the rest we created ourselves.  

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SPONSORSHIP DISCLAIMER

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A.I. TRAINING NOTICE

❗ No part of this content may be used to train any portions of an artificial intelligence model of any kind. 

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