Cooking in Retirement: Proteins and Fibers in Legumes and other foods I use

 When cooking, I particularly focus on four things: 


  • What is the spice/sauce base?
  • What is the protein source (typically a legume or meat)?
  • Is there adequate fiber?
  • What are the vegetables added (same dish or separate dish) to complete it?

Many legumes are a rich source of plant based protein and fiber. Besides fiber, the carbs they have are mainly complex carbs which are better for you than simple carbs or starch. 

The veggies we generally use are Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Carrots, Green Beans, Daikon and other Radishes, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Onions, and Bell Peppers - also starting to eat Okra and Eggplant. Of these, the vegetables with good protein content are Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Asparagus. The vegetables with good fiber content are Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Carrots, Green Beans and Okra. A few like Zucchini, Tomatoes and Bell Peppers also have some fiber but a lesser amount. Otherwise this essay does not really discuss vegetables. 

Will not really discuss meats (which is primarily chicken and turkey) much in this essay. Also I generally favor lower fat foods and fats won't be discussed here but need to explore if I need a supplement for essential omega fatty acids.  

What is a legume and how is it different than beans or pulses or dals? 

Legumes, beans, and pulses are related but distinct categories of plants and their seeds.

  • Legumes

    • Legumes are a family of plants (Fabaceae) that produce pods containing seeds.
    • Examples include peas, lentils, and peanuts.
    • They are known for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting agricultural practices.
  • Beans
    • Beans are a subset of legumes, specifically referring to seeds from certain plants within the legume family.
    • Common types include kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans.
    • Beans are often characterized by their shape and size.
  • Pulses
    • Pulses are the dry seeds of leguminous plants, specifically those harvested for food.
    • This category includes lentils, chickpeas, and dried beans.
    • Pulses are high in protein and fiber and are often used as a meat substitute in vegetarian diets.

In summary, all beans are legumes, and all pulses are legumes, but not all legumes are beans or pulses. All Indian dals are pulses, but not all pulses are called dals. 

Fiber is good and serves an important role in digestive health. What is fiber? 

Simple sugars, complex sugars, fibers, and starches are all types of carbohydrates, but they differ in structure and function.

  • Simple Sugars

    • Also known as monosaccharides (e.g., glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (e.g., sucrose, lactose).
    • Composed of one or two sugar molecules.
    • Quickly absorbed by the body, providing rapid energy.
  • Complex Sugars

    • Include oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.
    • Made up of three or more sugar molecules.
    • Found in foods like whole grains and legumes.
    • Digested more slowly than simple sugars, offering sustained energy.
  • Fibers

    • A type of complex carbohydrate that the body cannot digest.
    • Includes soluble fiber (e.g., oats, beans) and insoluble fiber (e.g., whole grains, vegetables).
    • Promotes digestive health, helps regulate blood sugar, and can lower cholesterol levels.
  • Starches

    • A form of complex carbohydrate made of long chains of glucose molecules.
    • Found in foods like potatoes, rice, and corn.
    • Serve as a major energy source and are broken down into glucose during digestion.

Understanding these differences helps in making informed dietary choices.


Protein and Fiber content of Legumes I use in cooking:

Here is the order of legumes/beans from highest protein for the cooked form per cup to lowest protein for the cooked form per cup.

  • Approx 17 to 19 g/cup: Urad, Edamame/Soy, Red Lentils, Black Lentils
  • Approx. 14 to 16 g/cup: Kidney, Moong, Chickpeas, Toor, Black, Pinto

Here is the order of legumes/beans from highest fiber for the cooked form per cup to lowest fiber for the cooked form per cup. 

  •  Approx 15 – 16 g/cup: Pinto
  • Approx 13 – 15 g/cup: Urad, Moong, Chickpeas, Black, Red Lentil, Black Lentil
  • Approx 10 – 12 g/cup: Kidney, Toor,
  • Approx 8 – 10 g/cup: Edamame/Soy
Here is a list of Indian dals/beans and their English names: 

To compare these to meat, 1 cup of chopped cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs has 40 grams protein and no fiber. 
Other protein sources that are not legumes/meats that we eat:
  • Diary:
    • Eggs - One cup of boiled eggs (about 2–3 eggs) provides roughly 17 grams of protein and no fiber.
    • Cheese - One medium-thick slice of cheddar cheese (≈1 oz / 28 g) has about 7 grams of protein and no fiber.
    • Milk - One cup of whole organic milk has about 8 g of protein and no fiber.
    • Greek yogurt - 1 cup (≈245 g) of low-fat Greek yogurt (2%) typically contains 20–23 grams of protein and no fiber.
  • Nuts:
    • Peanuts (technically a legume though!) - One cup of roasted peanuts without shells has about 36–38 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. 
    • Almonds - One cup of roasted almonds has about 30 grams of protein and 17 grams of fiber.
    • Walnuts - One cup of walnut halves has about 12 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber.
    • Pistachios - One cup of pistachios (no shell) has about 25 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber.
  • Grains: We mainly get this in only a few places. 
    • Brown Rice - When rice comes with a restaurant dish, we opt for brown rice. We don't cook Rice at home. One cup cooked brown rice has 8 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. 
    • Dave's 21 Whole Grain Bread for lunch  - Eat two slices in my sandwich. Two slices has 12 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. 
    • Oats for breakfast - One cup of cooked steel-cut oats has about 5–6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
    • We occasionally have chicken barley soup. One cup has 5 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. 
    • Quinoa with salad - One cup of cooked quinoa has about 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. My wife though is somewhat allergic to it. 
Leafy salads are not really protein sources by themselves, but people often add other protein sources like the ones described here to it to add protein content. 

Are our favored fruits sources of protein or fiber?

Our preferred fruits are berries, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, papayas, cantaloupe, bananas, pears, cuties, mandarin oranges, sumo oranges, watermelons, kiwis, apples, and pineapple.

None of our favored fruits are significant sources of protein.

They all contain small amounts, but typically <2 grams per serving, which is far below what nutrition guidelines consider a meaningful protein contribution. 

Some of them though are meaningful sources of fiber like raspberries, blackberries, pears, apples with skin, kiwi, and papaya. Lesser extents of fiber are in Peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, mandarins, cuties, sumo oranges, bananas, and pineapples. 

Some dishes I make:
  • Channa Masala (Chickpea protein source).
  • Rajma Masala (Kidney protein source).
  • Sambhar (Toor protein source).
  • Dal Makhani (Urad/Kidney protein source).
  • Chicken Korma, Tikka Masala, Vindaloo, Curry (Meat protein source).
  • Palak Tofu (switched in Tofu for paneer - Tofu/Soy protein source).
  • Classic Mexican chili with kidney beans (Beef/Turkey meat and Kidney protein source). 
  • Vegan Mexican Chili (Black/Pinto/Kidney protein source) - plan to make in future. 
  • Vegetarian Mexican Chili (Black/Pinto/Kidney protein source) - plan to make in future. 
  • Classic Mexican Black bean (Black Bean protein source).
  • Moong Bean Curry (Moong protein source) 
  • Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentils protein source)
  • Cantina Pinto beans (Pinto protein source) - plan to make in the future. 
  • Goan Style Dal Curry (Red Lentils protein source) - plan to make in future.
  • Masoor Dal (Red Lentils protein source) - plan to make in future. 
  • Dal Tadka (Toor protein source) 
  • Edamame Sundal (Edamame/Soy protein source) - plan to make in future.
  • Kootu (Urad, Chickpeas protein source) - plan to make in the future.
  • Molagootal (Toor protein source) - Plan to make in the future.
  • Potato Eggplant Butter Beans Curry (lima beans/Butter beans protein source) - Plan to make in future. 
  • Slowly adding others. 
For some of them veggies can be added to the dish itself. For others, I need a separate veggies dish to complete my diet. 

Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein intake for a senior aged 70 or over: 

For adults aged 70 and over, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is generally:
  • 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/day) — this is the official RDA set by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
However, many experts and health organizations (including the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the PROT-AGE Study Group) suggest that older adults need more protein than the basic RDA to maintain muscle mass, strength, and overall health. Their recommendations are:

  • 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg/day for healthy older adults
  • 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg/day for those with chronic illness or recovering from injury
  • Up to 2.0 g/kg/day for older adults with severe illness or malnutrition, under medical supervision
I already have a calculator in my cell. However I am not going everywhere with a ruler and scale with me!! Can't live that way!! Alternatives?

You don’t need to. Here are practical, real-life ways to estimate protein, fiber, and portion size without ever measuring anything. Look up on the web or ask AI for more details. 
  • The Hand-method (No scale needed)
  • Visual portion equivalents
  • Protein "Rule of Thumb" for common foods
  • Fiber "Rule of Thumb"
  • How to hit daily protein targets without measuring

You absolutely do not need a scale, ruler, or calculator.

If you can estimate:

  • A palm of protein

  • A cupped hand of legumes

  • A fist of vegetables

you can manage your diet just fine.

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