A legume refers to any plant made from the Fabaceae family that includes its leaves, stems and pods.  Examples include (but not limited to) soya beans, broad beans, green peas, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, butter beans, chickpeas, peanuts and black-eyed peas.  A pulse is the edible seed from a legume plant.  Pulses also include beans, lentils and peas for example.  But the best way to view this is that a pea pod is a legume, but the pea inside the pod is the pulse.  This is a better way to distinguish the cross over.  So, what’s the benefit from eating legumes and pulses? They are a rich source of protein when combined with pasta, noodles, bread, rice etc. Protein helps with structure and hormones in our bodies.  They are also a good source of fibre which helps with gut health and/or toilet transitions.  They are very rich in minerals like magnesium, iron and phosphorus.  These help with tooth enamel, reducing fatigue and energy metabolism.  Legumes and pulses are also a very good source of vitamin B9 that helps with red blood cells, DNA, brain function and reducing inflammation in our bodies.  Let’s go legumes and pulses this summer