Editing Lentil (section)

== Use by humans ==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2021}}

=== Processing  ===
A combination of gravity, screens and air flow is used to clean and sort lentils by shape and density. After destoning, they may be separated by a color sorter and then packaged.

A major part of the world's red lentil production undergoes a secondary processing step. These lentils are [[Husk|dehulled]], split and polished. In the [[Indian subcontinent]], this process is called dal milling.<ref name="CABI-2009" /> The moisture content of the lentils prior to dehulling is crucial to guarantee a good dehulling efficiency.<ref name="CABI-2009" /> The hull of lentils usually accounts for 6 to 7 percent of the total seed weight, which is lower than most legumes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=HUGHES|first1=Joe S.|last2=Swanson|first2=Barry G.|year=1986|title=Microstructure of lentil seeds (Lens culinaris)|url=http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1140&context=foodmicrostructure|journal=Food Structure|volume=5|pages=241–246|via=digitalcommons.usu.edu}}</ref> Lentil flour can be produced by milling the seeds, like cereals.

=== Culinary use ===
[[File:Split_Red_Lentil.jpg|thumb|Split red lentils (size 6 mm)]]

Lentils can be eaten soaked, germinated, fried, baked or boiled &ndash; the most common preparation method.<ref name="CABI-2009" /> The seeds require a cooking time of 10 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety; small varieties with the husk removed, such as the common red lentil, require shorter cooking times (and unlike most legumes don't require soaking). Most varieties have a distinctive, earthy flavor. Lentils with husks remain whole with moderate cooking, while those without husks tend to disintegrate into a thick purée, which may enable various dishes. The composition of lentils leads to a high [[Emulsion|emulsifying]] capacity which can be even increased by dough [[fermentation]] in bread making.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bora|first=Pushkar Singh|title=Functional properties of native and succinylated lentil (Lens culinaris) globulins|journal=Food Chemistry|volume=77|issue=2|pages=171–176|doi=10.1016/s0308-8146(01)00332-6|year=2002}}</ref>

==== Lentil dishes ====
Lentils are used worldwide in many different dishes. Lentil dishes are most widespread throughout [[South Asia]], the [[Mediterranean]] regions, [[West Asia]], and [[Latin America]]. [[File:Daal_after_Tadka_Pulse_Soup_India.jpg|thumb|[[Dal tadka]] (lentil soup)]]
In the [[Indian subcontinent]], [[Fiji]], [[Mauritius]], [[Singapore]] and the [[Caribbean]], lentil curry is part of the everyday diet, eaten with both rice and [[roti]]. Boiled lentils and lentil stock are used to thicken most vegetarian curries. They are also used as stuffing in [[dal]] [[paratha]]s and [[Puri (food)|puri]] for breakfast or snacks. Lentils are also used in many regional varieties of sweets. Lentil flour is used to prepare several different bread varieties, such as [[papadam]].

They are frequently combined with [[rice]], which has a similar cooking time. A lentil and rice dish is referred to in Levantine countries as ''[[mujaddara]]'' or ''mejadra''. In Iran, rice and lentil is served with fried [[raisin]]; this dish is called [[Lentil rice]] (''adas polo)''. Rice and lentils are also cooked together in ''[[khichdi]]'', a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent (India and Pakistan); another dish, ''[[kushari]]'', made in Egypt, is considered one of two [[national dish]]es.

Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious [[Lentil soup|soup]] throughout Europe and [[Americas|North and South America]], sometimes combined with [[Chicken (food)|chicken]] or [[pork]]. In Western countries, cooked lentils are often used in salads.<ref name="CABI-2009" /> In Italy, the traditional dish for New Year's Eve is [[Cotechino]] served with lentils.

Lentils are commonly eaten in [[Ethiopia]] in a stew-like dish called ''misir'', or ''misir wot'', one of the dishes people eat with Ethiopia's national food, ''[[injera]]'' flatbread. 

Lentils were a chief part of the diet of ancient Iranians, who consumed lentils daily in the form of a stew poured over rice.

=== Nutritional value ===
{{nutritionalvalue|name=Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt|kJ=477|water=69.64 g|protein=9.02 g|fat=0.38 g|carbs=19.54 g|sugars=1.8 g|fiber=7.9 g|calcium_mg=19|iron_mg=3.3|magnesium_mg=36|phosphorus_mg=180|potassium_mg=369|sodium_mg=238|zinc_mg=1.27|copper_mg=0.251|manganese_mg=0.494|selenium_ug=2.8|vitC_mg=1.5|vitD_iu= 0|vitE_mg=0.11|vitK_ug=1.7|thiamin_mg=0.169|riboflavin_mg=0.073|niacin_mg=1.06|pantothenic_mg=0.638|vitB6_mg=0.178|folate_ug=181|vitB12_ug=0|note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175254/nutrients Link to Full USDA Database entry]}}

Boiled lentils are 70% water, 20% [[carbohydrate]]s, 9% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and 0.4% [[fat]] (table). In a reference amount of {{convert|100|g|oz|frac=2|abbr=off}}, cooked lentils (boiled; variety unspecified) provide 114 [[calorie]]s, and are a rich source (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of [[folate]] (45% DV), iron (25% DV), manganese (24% DV), and phosphorus (26% DV). They are a good source (10% DV) of [[thiamine]] (15% DV), [[pantothenic acid]] (13% DV), [[Vitamin B6|vitamin B<sub>6</sub>]] (14% DV), [[magnesium]] (10% DV), [[copper]] (13% DV), and [[zinc]] (13%) (table). Lentils contain [[carotenoid]]s, [[lutein]] and [[zeaxanthin]], and [[polyunsaturated fatty acid]]s.<ref name="ZhangDeng2014">{{cite journal|display-authors=3|last1=Zhang|first1=Bing|last2=Deng|first2=Zeyuan|last3=Tang|first3=Yao|last4=Chen|first4=Peter|last5=Liu|first5=Ronghua|last6=Ramdath|first6=D. Dan|last7=Liu|first7=Qiang|last8=Hernandez|first8=Marta|last9=Tsao|first9=Rong|title=Fatty acid, carotenoid and tocopherol compositions of 20 Canadian lentil cultivars and synergistic contribution to antioxidant activities|journal=Food Chemistry|volume=161|year=2014|pages=296–304|issn=0308-8146|doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.04.014|pmid=24837953}}</ref>

==== Digestive effects ====
The low levels of readily digestible starch (5 percent) and high levels of slowly digested starch make lentils of potential value to people with [[diabetes]].<ref name="RamdathRenwick2016">{{cite journal|year=2016|title=The Role of Pulses in the Dietary Management of Diabetes|journal=Can J Diabetes|type=Review|volume=40|issue=4|pages=355–63|doi=10.1016/j.jcjd.2016.05.015|pmid=27497151|vauthors=Ramdath D, Renwick S, Duncan AM}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Mudryj AN, Yu N, Aukema HM |year=2014|title=Nutritional and health benefits of pulses|journal=Appl Physiol Nutr Metab|type=Review. Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't|volume=39|issue=11|pages=1197–204|doi=10.1139/apnm-2013-0557|pmid=25061763}}</ref> The remaining 65% of the starch is a [[resistant starch]] classified as RS1.<ref>Kawaljit Singh Sandhu, Seung-Taik Lim ''Digestibility of legume starches as influenced by their physical and structural properties'' Elsevier, 16 March 2007</ref> A minimum of 10% in starch from lentils escapes [[digestion]] and absorption in the [[small intestine]] (therefore called "resistant starch").<ref>{{cite journal|author=Tovar J|year=1996|title=Bioavailability of carbohydrates in legumes: digestible and indigestible fractions|journal=Arch Latinoam Nutr|volume=44|issue=4 Suppl 1|pages=36S–40S|pmid=9137637}}</ref> Additional resistant starch is synthesized from gelatinized starch, during cooling, after lentils are cooked.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Casey R.|last2=Thavarajah|first2=Dil|last3=Thavarajah|first3=Pushparajah|last4=Payne|first4=Scott|last5=Moore|first5=Jayma|last6=Ohm|first6=Jae-Bom|title=Processing, cooking, and cooling affect prebiotic concentrations in lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus)|journal=Journal of Food Composition and Analysis|volume=38|pages=106–111|doi=10.1016/j.jfca.2014.10.008|year=2015}}</ref>

Lentils also have [[antinutrient]] factors, such as [[trypsin inhibitor]]s and a relatively high [[phytate]] content. Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion, and phytates reduce the [[bioavailability]] of [[dietary minerals]].<ref name="vidal">{{cite journal|vauthors=Vidal-Valverde C, Frias F, Estrella I, Gorospe MJ, Ruiz R, Bacon J |year=1994|title=Effect of processing on some antinutritional factors of lentils|journal=J Agric Food Chem|volume=42|issue=10|pages=2291–2295|doi=10.1021/jf00046a039|bibcode=1994JAFC...42.2291V }}</ref> The phytates can be reduced by prolonged soaking and fermentation or sprouting.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Egli|first1=I.|last2=Davidsson|first2=L.|last3=Juillerat|first3=M.a.|last4=Barclay|first4=D.|last5=Hurrell|first5=R.f.|date=2002-11-01|title=The Influence of Soaking and Germination on the Phytase Activity and Phytic Acid Content of Grains and Seeds Potentially Useful for Complementary Feedin|journal=Journal of Food Science|language=en|volume=67|issue=9|pages=3484–3488|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2621.2002.tb09609.x|issn=1750-3841}}</ref> Cooking nearly completely removes the trypsin inhibitor activity; sprouting is also effective.<ref name=vidal/>