Why should we encourage the use of pulses in the diets of infants and young children?
In the first two years of life, feeding (and adequate nutrition) forms part an important part of how children are nurtured. Eating well in the first two years is important to ensure optimal nutrition for growth and development (including of the brain and teeth), and for the development of healthy food preferences, in the context of a healthy family environment. Eating well from pregnancy to infancy and early childhood will contribute to enabling an individual to reach their full potential (FSNT & NEON, 2021).
Current UK recommendations are that young children should consume 1 or 2 portions of foods rich in (non-dairy) protein each day. Non-dairy sources of protein are meat, beans, pulses, fish, eggs, and nuts. Pulses include lentils, peas, and beans, (e.g., butter beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, or baked beans). Pulses are nutrient dense and are great sources of protein, iron, zinc, calcium, riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and fibre while being low in fat. Most of the pulses we eat are minimally processed or unprocessed. This is positive because we know that many infants and young children in the UK have eating patterns that are too high in ultra-processed products (FSNT, 2023). Two tablespoons (50g) of cooked pulses can provide about 10% of iron, zinc and magnesium for 4–6-year-olds.
Pulses can be offered from 6 months, among other first foods and as part of an increasingly varied diet. Pulses and are great first foods, since they can be mashed easily and provide a variety of tastes and textures (just see all the pictures below!). Pulses can be eaten daily and can be included in both meals and snacks. Aside from all their nutritional benefits, pulses are also cost-efficient and climate friendly.
There are many ways to include pulses in meals and (from 1 year of age) snacks. See here for “How to get kids to eat pulses” by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO):
https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/How-to-get-kids-to-eat-pulses/en
For infants and young children in families following vegan dietary patterns, pulses form an important part of making sure that these children eat enough protein for their growth and development. You can read more on vegan diets in young children here:
https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/s/Eating_well_Vegans-Feb_2020_forweb.pdf
Why are we focusing on South Asian cooking?
There is a long history of South Asian culture in the UK and food and eating patterns form a strong part of this culture. A wide variety of pulses are used in traditional South Asian dishes (think of traditional Indian Dal, or a lentil or chickpea curry). These dishes can be made to be mildly spicy for young children and it is helpful to highlight these healthy characteristics of traditional dietary patterns.
In the UK, the term South Asian usually refers to people from the Indian “subcontinent”. According to the 2021 Census (ONS, 2022), 5.5 million people (9.3%) were from Asian ethnic groups, with:
- 1.9 million people (3.1% of the UK population) identifying with the Indian ethnic group
- 1.6 million (2.7%) with the Pakistani ethnic group
- 650 000 (1.1%) with the Bangladeshi ethnic group
There is even an adaptation of the Eating Well Guide for those following South Asian dietary patterns in the UK: https://mynutriweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/South-Asian-Eatwell-Guide.pdf
In 2021, a resource was prepared in collaboration between the Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme and First Steps Nutrition Trust (FSNT & NEON, 2021). This resource summarises the importance of eating well between 6 and 24 months and shows how this can be achieved through providing nutritionally appropriate, affordable, culturally-tailored South Asian recipes based on unprocessed and minimally processed foods. There are over 30 recipes in this resource, one of which is Masoor (red lentil) dal (linked below).
Can you think of other cuisines from different countries that also include pulses into some of their favourite dishes?
References
First Steps Nutrition Trust (FSNT) and NEON (Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition). 2021. Eating well: 6 months to 2 years – For South Asian children. https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/s/Eating-well-6-months-to-2-years-For-South-Asian-children-NEON-Recipe-Book-final-version-web.pdf
First Steps Nutrition Trust (FSNT). 2020. Eating well: vegan infants and under-5s. https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/s/Eating_well_Vegans-Feb_2020_forweb.pdf
FSNT. 2023. Ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the diets of infants and young children in the UK: What they are, how they harm health and what should be done to reduce intakes. https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/upfs-marketed-for-infants-and-young-children
Office for National Statistics (ONS). 2022. Ethnic group, England and Wales: Census 2021. https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/population-of-england-and-wales/latest/
