Vegetarian meals - portion size for pulses?

annie-c

Hello

I am not a full vegetarian but wanted to ask for help from those who regularly cook vegetarian food. I am trying to reduce the amount of meat I eat, for health and moneysaving reasons and because, having tried pulses over the last couple of months, I am hooked in a way that has surprised me!

However, I am struggling a bit with portion control. -especially since with lentils, chickpeas, beans etc I am usually cooking them into something like a stew or soup or dip - so it is easy to chuck in great handfuls at a time, and I don't really have an idea of what is normal.

I would normally use between 4-8 oz of meat/fish per person per meal, depending on the dish - but I don't know how much dry/cooked weight of pulses to use. How much does everyone else use? And how much more do cooked pulses weigh compared to dried pulses?

Sorry for all the questions, but if anyone can help or point me in the direction of useful websites, then I'd be really pleased!

Thanks
Annie

Gingham_Ribbon

I don't measure anything except for baking so couldn't give you amounts. And it depends on how much veg etc you're putting in with it.

If you're using tinned chickpeas for example, I would use a whole tin for 2 people if I was making a chickpea and cauliflower curry. So I suppose about half a tin worth per person. (cooked.)

Queenie

annie-c wrote:

.... I am trying to reduce the amount of meat I eat, for health and moneysaving reasons and because, having tried pulses over the last couple of months, I am hooked in a way that has surprised me!
.....

I would normally use between 4-8 oz of meat/fish per person per meal, depending on the dish - but I don't know how much dry/cooked weight of pulses to use. How much does everyone else use? And how much more do cooked pulses weigh compared to dried pulses?

We're doing the same, Annie

Found this at "Your Complete Guide to Beans and Lentils" : -

1 cup of dry navy beans=3 cups cooked
1 pound (2 cups) dry navy beans=6 cups cooked
1 pound cooked beans will serve 6-8 people
1 serving of cooked beans=3/4 of 1 cup

From the BBC - Back To Basics, Pulses

Allow about 55g (2oz) dried weight per person - once soaked and cooked they will at least double in weight.

And this from Food Standards Agency, Eat well, be well, pulses, nuts and seeds.

Three heaped tablespoons of pulses = one portion.

Have a good nosey around those links, Annie, because there are recipes and info that will help with your transition to a less meat diet.

annie-c

Thanks, this is great! I'll have a browse around now....

annie-c

Is this using US cup sizes, ie, 1 cup =8 oz?

Queenie

Yes, Annie, I believe so because all the recipes on that site are in US cup measurements as it's a US Site, but I use a set of cup measures from Tesco's and the difference in this case is minimal.

HTH

LearningToSave.

Gingham_Ribbon wrote:

If you're using tinned chickpeas for example, I would use a whole tin for 2 people if I was making a chickpea and cauliflower curry. So I suppose about half a tin worth per person. (cooked.)

any chance of the recipie for that curry gingham?