Measuring carbs - lentils

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notmez

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I've just been planning some meals for next week while I order the shopping.

I have a packet of split red lentils that says between 9-11g per 100g depending of which brand I get. (Cooked per instructions)

When I was searching another site said 60g carbs per 100g. (Uncooked)

Normally there are a lot of various lentils in my diet but now I'm not sure how good or bad these are following a reduced carb diet. (I don't have a monitor yet so I can't just see what it does to my levels)

I would obviously skip on the chapattis and/or rice with any lentil based meal. I guess most of the weight of the cooked lentils is the liquid they soak up which is why the number is much lower?

my question is how to I measure and work out how to correctly measure the content of my meal.

should I used the uncooked numbers and just add up everything in the recipe and then weight my portion and split the number from the total sum? Because honestly I have no idea how many grams of uncooked lentils makes 100g of cooked but I will know how much uncooked everything will go in to my pot.

im finding working out carbs on home cooked stuff more difficult, especially Indian food cooked from scratch, it's easier if I use or plan to buy a jar sauce but I don't really buy sauce jars.
 
Yes, the discrepancy is because of the liquid they soak up during cooking. I always weigh the dry lentils and add up all the carbs in the ingredients I am using in the dish, then divide by the number of portions. A lot of people find lentils are kind to their blood glucose, because they digest very slowly.
 
Robin said:
Yes, the discrepancy is because of the liquid they soak up during cooking. I always weigh the dry lentils and add up all the carbs in the ingredients I am using in the dish, then divide by the number of portions. A lot of people find lentils are kind to their blood glucose, because they digest very slowly.
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Nice. So as long as I keep to a sensible portion size i should be ok, I'll be able to see what it does to me sometime near the middle of next month.

Various different lentil and mixed lentil dhals are some of my favourite dishes so I'm glad they are kind.
 
Packets of lentils by different manufacturers like to keep us on our toes.
they often give the carbs for the lentils once cooked. But I want to weigh them dry to get to a certain amount of carbs. Somewhere buried in their chart they give the link from cooked to uncooked so I can work it out, but it would So much easier if they gave the carbs for dry weight.
eg Green lentils
Labels tell me
Carbs per 100g cooked as per instructions 9.4g
Allow 30g dry weight per serving
Typical values per serving 7.5 g of carbs

30g dry weight 7.5g carbs
If I want 30g carbs I need 120g of dry weight

Another packet gives a very different serving size.
The info is there but not explicitly.

As @Robin says the discrepancy between dry weight and cooked is due to the water absorbed in cooking.
I find that lentils are a lot slower release and I often needed to reduce the carb count as not all is digested.
 
notmez said:
I've just been planning some meals for next week while I order the shopping.

I have a packet of split red lentils that says between 9-11g per 100g depending of which brand I get. (Cooked per instructions)

When I was searching another site said 60g carbs per 100g. (Uncooked)

Normally there are a lot of various lentils in my diet but now I'm not sure how good or bad these are following a reduced carb diet. (I don't have a monitor yet so I can't just see what it does to my levels)

I would obviously skip on the chapattis and/or rice with any lentil based meal. I guess most of the weight of the cooked lentils is the liquid they soak up which is why the number is much lower?

my question is how to I measure and work out how to correctly measure the content of my meal.

should I used the uncooked numbers and just add up everything in the recipe and then weight my portion and split the number from the total sum? Because honestly I have no idea how many grams of uncooked lentils makes 100g of cooked but I will know how much uncooked everything will go in to my pot.

im finding working out carbs on home cooked stuff more difficult, especially Indian food cooked from scratch, it's easier if I use or plan to buy a jar sauce but I don't really buy sauce jars.
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HI Notmez, I too love my lentils and spicy food, used with other veg makes a tasty filling meal, I do make chapatis to go with it, wholemeal flour, water, etc, but not every meal, I use Tofu which if marinated soaks up the spices, lovely! so, have been losing weight slowly, just taking it easy with that, a bit of exercise, and Metformin x2 per day
 
Thanks SB2015 - i'll keep a look out on the packs, i'll have to guess or use whatever i find online for some because i tend to decant my food in to jars. will start cutting out the labels and taping them to the jars because i mostly stick to the same brands.

John - Love tofu, i use it quite a bit instead of Paneer when making "paneer" tikka or tandoori, with loads of big chunky veg and salad. i don't plan on stopping i just plan to change little bits, ie a wrap instead of naan, no potatoes for me and less cassava. the chapatti isn't too difficult for me to avoid because I suck at rolling them out so I tend to only eat those when i go to see my parents. I'm looking forward to a spinach or fenugreek curry but will need to skip the potatoes in them.

Lots of little changes to everything is manageable trying to do big changes and cut things out would be way more difficult.

im on 2x metformin which will be 4x by the end of the month if i can stand it.
 
I love a lentil and put them in soups, curries and savory things like stews and bolognaise.
Chickpeas aren't too carby either. I used to love mung daal, but they're loads worse, so I avoid them!
 
Sadly, much as I love lentils I am one of the people who digest them rather too easily and my body seems to break them down into more glucose than they are actually supposed to contain, which is really frustrating but I am fortunate that I have insulin to use to balance it.
Just really posting this to confirm that it is very individual, particularly with pulses as there seems to be more variation in how people digest them than most other foods. You will find out how your body responds when you get a BG meter. Until then, enjoy them in blissful ignorance and hope! :D
 
notmez said:
I've just been planning some meals for next week while I order the shopping.

I have a packet of split red lentils that says between 9-11g per 100g depending of which brand I get. (Cooked per instructions)

When I was searching another site said 60g carbs per 100g. (Uncooked)

Normally there are a lot of various lentils in my diet but now I'm not sure how good or bad these are following a reduced carb diet. (I don't have a monitor yet so I can't just see what it does to my levels)

I would obviously skip on the chapattis and/or rice with any lentil based meal. I guess most of the weight of the cooked lentils is the liquid they soak up which is why the number is much lower?

my question is how to I measure and work out how to correctly measure the content of my meal.

should I used the uncooked numbers and just add up everything in the recipe and then weight my portion and split the number from the total sum? Because honestly I have no idea how many grams of uncooked lentils makes 100g of cooked but I will know how much uncooked everything will go in to my pot.

im finding working out carbs on home cooked stuff more difficult, especially Indian food cooked from scratch, it's easier if I use or plan to buy a jar sauce but I don't really buy sauce jars.
Click to expand...
I use 200g split red lentils to make a recipe that serves 4 comfortably sometimes 5 servings this is for a coconut dal.
 
Nige13 said:
Which are the best lentils to use and the best brands?
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I use tinned chickpeas in water mainly but any tinned lentils in water are good just make sure they have no salt or anything else, just plain water
 
john e said:
I use tinned chickpeas in water mainly but any tinned lentils in water are good just make sure they have no salt or anything else, just plain water
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Cheers, I read that tinned lentils wern't that great for us?
 
I buy from an Indian supermarket, usually East End brand, both dried split red lentils, and dried chickpeas. The chickpeas get soaked overnight then cooked in the slow cooker, the lentils just get cooked.
I've never used tinned lentils, they're easy enough to cook from scratch and like Pinkjude says, cheaper to buy that way.
 
Windy said:
I buy from an Indian supermarket, usually East End brand, both dried split red lentils, and dried chickpeas. The chickpeas get soaked overnight then cooked in the slow cooker, the lentils just get cooked.
I've never used tinned lentils, they're easy enough to cook from scratch and like Pinkjude says, cheaper to buy that way.
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I buy the same brand from an Indian supermarket too and like you soak the chickpeas then cook in the pressure cooker.
 
I buy tinned beans chickpeas etc but lentils always dried. Tinned is not the best due to salt but I do rinse and try to buy not in salt water when I can.

Indian supermarket for the win if you can, if not many supermarkets have a decent Indian selection in the world food bit.

Natco, eastend, ktc. Just be sure to really wash them properly before using.

"enjoy them in blissful ignorance". Haha I will do just that. I'll know for sure how they impact me when I have a meter.

So much nice Indian food that has lentils.
 
I made cruchy chickpeas for snacks last night for today and I must say they are delicious :D Tinned chickpeas washed, drained and dried, touch of olive oil and some spices and in oven for 30mins job done - will 100% be making more and in bigger batches :D
 

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