A little over a month ago, I embarked on a mission to get you to #LoveLentils as much as I do. And why not? They’re tasty, versatile, incredibly affordable and a pure nutrition powerhouse. Allow me to refresh your memory:
10 Super Cool Facts about Canadian Lentils
1. There are 8.5 grams of fibre and 7 grams of protein in just half a cup of cooked Canadian lentils.
2. Canadian Lentils are an excellent source of folate and iron, and a good source of selenium and zinc.
3. The most common types of lentils grown in Canada are green and red. Also grown in Canada are black Beluga and French Green or Du Puy lentils.
4. Canada produces 67 per cent of the world’s lentil supply. (!!!)
5. In 2011, over 2.55 million acres of lentils were planted in Canada by over 5,000 lentil growers.
6. Canada is the world’s leading exporter of lentils, exporting a total value of $872,956,572 in lentils in 2011.
7. Canada only begun growing lentils in 1970, meaning it is a relatively new crop to Canada.
8. Saskatchewan is the largest lentil growing province, accounting for 95 per cent of total Canadian production.
9. India is the biggest importer of Canadian lentils.
10. Lentil growing originated from the wild lentils that still grow in Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries.
Reminder: You’ve got just two days left to enter my giveaway of Chef Michael Smith’s latest book – Chef Michael Smith’s Kitchen!
Now it’s obvious that I’ve got a thing for Canadian lentils, and Chef Smith has a thing for Canadian lentils – but I was actually quite floored to see a droolworthy lentils-based dish in my Facebook News Feed: Lina and Steven Zussino of GroceryAlerts.ca posted pictures of their latest culinary masterpiece: Lentil Walnut Burgers!
(As an aside, have you visited Grocery Alerts? It’s like, the BEST place to find grocery deals, grocery coupons, frugal recipes and expert advice on how to save money on groceries. And apparently, they share my love of healthy, delicious food!)…