I’ve proclaimed my love for lentils before: lentil stew, lentil tacos, lentil-walnut loaf, the list could go on for days.

Inexpensive, high in protein, fiber, folate, iron, and almost fat-free. I eat them almost every day. Recently, I’ve been bored with our usual lentil dishes and decided to experiment with some new flavor combinations. Totally hooked.

This is one of those big pot meals you can make and eat throughout the week. Delicious over rice, on naan or by itself, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

What’s your favorite way to eat lentils?

Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients:

2 cups red lentils
1 cup diced onion
2 tbsp. red curry paste
2 tbsp. Indian Curry Powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. minced ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can tomato puree
1 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Brown rice, cooked

Directions:

Rinse the lentils very well until water runs clear. Add lentils in a pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until lentils are tender.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet or pot. Add the onions, a pinch of salt, and cook until reduced and caramelized. Reduce heat to low and stir in the maple syrup.

While the onions are cooking, mix together the curry powder, paste, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, pinch salt, garlic, and ginger.  Increase the heat on the onions back to medium and add the spice mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often being sure not to burn.

Add the tomato puree, stir together and cook another 2-3 minutes until warm. Add drained lentils and stir together. Stir in chopped cilantro and serve over rice.

If there is one aisle at the supermarket that seems to cause the most confusion, it’s probably the cereal one. With multiple health claims, weight loss promises, and scientific jargon, choosing the right cereal can seem like a tedious process. DK’s got you covered with this quick guide to selecting what matters.

Whole Grains
Instead of putting percentage of whole grains most manufactures list grain amounts in grams, which takes a bit more decoding. The ingredient list is the first place you should look; 100% whole wheat, whole grain or bran should be the first ingredient. If it’s anything else, put it back.

Calorie Limits
First, check out serving size. While 1 cup is the standard portion of cereal, some servings vary from ¼ to 1 ¼ cups. Sneaky, huh? I recommend no more than 250 calories per cup, especially since most people eat more than that. Don’t forget about your choice of milk which adds an additional 30-50 calories per ½ cup. My favorite is unsweetened almond milk.

Fiber
To get the “best of both worlds”, you want a cereal that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps bind and reduce cholesterol, while insoluble fiber adds bulk to the digestive tract. The evidence that fiber helps prevent heart disease and diabetes comes when people eat fiber found in whole grains and bran. Most cereals with added fiber get it from “isolated fibers” like oat, corn, or inulin. The jury is still out on whether these fibers offer the same benefit as intact fibers. Unfortunately, you can’t tell on the label which fibers occur naturally and which ones have been added. Most of your >6g fiber per serving (unless it’s mostly bran) rely on these added fibers. Whatever you choose, look for at least 3g of fiber per serving, preferably from dried fruit, whole grains, and bran.

Added Sugars
Just like fiber, it can be hard to determine between naturally occurring sugar in fruit and sugar which has been added like brown rice syrup, brown sugar, honey, molasses, etc. Look at the ingredient list to determine sugar amounts and frequency. If it’s listed in the first 3 ingredients, it’s probably high in sugar. Attune Foods brand Uncle Same cereal has less than 1g of sugar per serving; 100% all-bran, bran flakes do as well. You can sweeten them yourself with sugar or fruit. Remember, it’s cereal, not a donut or pastry.

My favorite cereals: 100% bran flakes, Kellogg’s All Bran, Kashi Go Lean, Kashi Heart to Heart, Trader Joes O’s, Post Grape Nut Flakes.

Which cereal is your favorite?