L is for Lazy (and Lentils)

Lentils are lazy legumes.

(How could I possibly have resisted saying that for “L”? I simply do not have that much self-control.)

I mean yes, they’re really good for you. And yes, they come in lots of pretty colors.

But as I pointed out in “Tales of the Laziest (Healthy) Cook in North America” I am what I refer to as a “path-of-least-resistance” type of person. And even though my approach to weight loss and healthy living is “life-long and holistic,” that doesn’t really speak to the nitty-gritty daily grind of those of us who struggle with our weight.

What does any of that mean on a daily basis when you’re faced (yet again) with what to make for dinner?

Dinnertime at my house usually looks something like this:

5:30pm: I run down to the kitchen (frantic) from my home office upstairs where I’ve been holed up writing most of the day.

5:31pm: Child looks up from homework (Bahaha – who am I kidding?!) Child looks up from Xbox, “What’s for dinner?” he wants to know.

5:31:01: “You want dinner again??? Didn’t you just eat last night?”

5:31:02: Child rolls his eyes and goes back to his game.

‘Dammit, I’m gonna have to cook for them again. Now what???’ I think to myself.

In my house, those “Now What???” moments are followed by a trip to the pantry, which yields some promising options. Fortunately I spend time on Sundays thinking through these very scenarios so that I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to quick and easy weeknight meals.

One of the easiest and least expensive (did I mention how cheap I am?) protein sources you’ll find is legumes (aka beans).

Lentils are legumes for the lazy.

Know why? Unlike other beans, they don’t need to soak overnight and they cook extremely quickly. That works to the advantage of the habitually time-challenged.

I like meals where I can prep things quickly from the healthy ingredients I have on hand, throw everything into a pot, run back upstairs and finish the work I should’ve finished an hour ago, come back down a while later and voila! Dinner’s ready!

Here are some of my all-time fave lentil recipes along with a few new finds in a Pinterest board I plan on using a lot in the coming months: “Fall Recipes.”

Warm Spiced Lentils, are you kidding me??? Hello!

And here’s the ebook I released last fall with some of my all-time favorite soup recipes, including my go-to Lentil Tomato Soup.

Healthy living isn’t just for those pesky type-A people who are always on top of everything; us path-of-least-resistance cooks deserve to eat well too!