#DYK that we grow some of the healthiest foods in the world in Canada? One of those foods is lentils. Nutritionally, they are a good source of fibre, potassium, folate, plant protein and help with blood sugar control. Plus they are easy to cook and taste great!
Canada grows about 1/3 of all the lentils worldwide and 95% of Canada’s lentils are grown in Saskatchewan. Canada began growing lentils in the 1970s and thanks to plant scientist Dr. Al Slinkard we are now one of the largest lentil growing areas and there are now over 5,000 active lentil farmers in Canada.
In this course, you will learn about:
- how lentils are grown in Canada
- the different kinds of lentils grown in Canada
- how to cook with canned and dried lentils
- how to make lentil puree
- how to sprout lentils
- how to prepare simple recipes using lentils
You can skip around to the different sections you are interested in or do the modules in order! Check out the instructor guide in the material tab.
Course content & objectives
- how lentils are grown
- the different kinds of lentils grown in Canada
- how to cook with canned and dried lentils
- how to make lentil purée
- how to sprout lentils
- how to prepare simple recipes using lentils
Course Delivery
- Lecture-style presentations by the instructor
- Student group presentations on each of the topic areas in the course
- Individual students selecting a specific topic to write about using information provided on the website and other resources
- Self-guided study with students completing quizzes at the end of each topic
- Team competitions at the end of each course to see which team gets the most quiz answers correct
Suggested Activities
- Invite a farmer to talk with your group about growing lentils. What are the different varieties that are grown and what are they used for? Ask the farmer to talk about how and when lentils are planted, how they are cared for during the growing season and when they are harvested. What are the advantages of direct seeding? Have them talk about the importance of adding pulses to their crop rotation. What do they contribute to the soil that other crops don’t?
- Take a field trip to a grocery store to find lentil products. Look for green lentils, split or whole red lentils, French green lentils and Black Beluga lentils in both dried and canned form. Look for other pulses: dry peas, dry beans and chickpeas. Discuss what lentils and other pulses contribute to a healthy diet both in terms of nutrients and health benefits. Why are lentils so important in vegetarian/vegan diets?
- Take a vote and decide whether to prepare Lentil Meatball Sliders, Mushroom and Lentil Ragu or Easy Lentil Cassoulet. Buy the ingredients, prepare as a group. Discuss the taste of the resulting dish. Look for other recipes containing lentils, as well as recipes using sprouted lentils. What are some of the important factors to remember when working with lentils? If preparing your own meal without a recipe, what are the considerations for selecting the type of lentil you would use?