A gluten-free diet is an important necessity to preserve the quality of life for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Fortunately, there are many naturally gluten-free food options for such special consumer groups. So, do you think lentils are one of them?
Almost every product you come across on the shelves says “May contain gluten.” The presence of the phrase may cause you to be confused about exactly which foods do or do not contain gluten. As a matter of fact, gluten is among the basic components of the foods most consumed by the general public. This creates a major nutritional limitation for people who should not consume gluten, especially celiac patients. However, the number of gluten-free foods found in nature is much higher than those containing gluten!
Gluten, as a natural component, is actually found only in certain plant foods. All other foods are gluten-free when raw. However, “Do lentils contain gluten?” When answering the question, it is necessary to consider some details in this regard, as in many other foods.
Imagine a distant land where grains such as barley, wheat and rye never existed. Every food grown on these lands would be gluten-free beyond any doubt. However, these grains, which are grown almost all over the world, can show their presence even in unlikely foods due to their wide usage areas. This raises the possibility that gluten may also be present in lentil products produced with these grains.
1. Is There Gluten in Lentil Flour?
Flour types, regardless of the raw material they are made from, are the most important issue to pay attention to regarding gluten content. Because in the facilities where flour is produced, gluten-containing plants such as wheat, barley and rye, which are widely consumed by the society, are processed. Finely grinding these grains into flour may cause many particles to be dispersed into the environment during the process.
The situation when gluten in wheat, barley and rye products comes into contact with different foods in any way is called “cross contamination”.
The main factor that creates the risk of contamination is that flour is in powder form and has a high probability of spreading. That being the case, lentils etc. In order for alternative flour types made from foods to be gluten-free, they must be produced under special growing and processing conditions for gluten-free products. Therefore, lentil flour can only be gluten-free as long as these conditions are met from field to packaging. For this reason, when buying ready-packaged lentil flour, it is necessary to choose products with the statement “gluten-free/gluten-free” on them.
2. Is There Gluten in Green Lentils?
Green lentils are one of the primary preferences of all consumer groups that pay attention to their nutrition, as they are a protein and fiber rich food. But can this food be easily consumed by consumers with celiac disease or gluten intolerance? As long as you do not use other foods containing gluten in your green lentil recipes, yes!
Namely, green lentils, like all other legumes, constitute a gluten-free natural food type. In this way, it can be consumed safely by people with various autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, gluten intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome. However, against all possibilities regarding the production conditions, it is necessary to wash the dried green lentils with plenty of water before cooking.
3. Is There Gluten in Red Lentils?
If you suffer from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you may still have some doubts about different varieties of lentil consumption. But rest assured, red lentils do not contain gluten, just like natural and additive-free green lentils. This food, which is a very satisfying food with the high amount of starch it contains (40.95 percent), is among the favorite ingredients of flourless bread recipes thanks to this feature.
4. Gluten-Free Lentil Bread Recipe
It is now a well-known fact that it is possible to make gluten-free bread without using any type of flour. Moreover, these bread types receive full marks from many people in terms of taste. One of these, flourless lentil bread, is one of the most popular recipes, with its appearance and consistency resembling a salty cake. Red lentils are especially preferred in this recipe because they cook faster than green lentils and take on a porridge-like appearance easily.
You should also check in detail the contents of all the other ingredients you will use to make 100 percent gluten-free lentil bread.
4.1. Ingredients for Gluten-Free Lentil Bread
- Red lentils (2 cups)
- Eggs (3 pieces)
- Yogurt (1 cup)
- Olive oil (Half a tea glass)
- Baking powder (1 packet)
- Baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- Sesame (as desired)
- Black Cumin (As desired)
4.2. How to Make Gluten-Free Lentil Bread
- Lentils are soaked the night before by transferring them to a large bowl.
- The next day, the water in which the lentils were waiting is poured out. Lentils are rinsed thoroughly and then drained.
- The lentils, which are slightly softened and cleaned in water, are blended while raw.
- Eggs, yoghurt, olive oil, baking powder and baking soda are mixed in a separate bowl until they become homogeneous.
- Red lentils in pulp are also added to the mixture. Dill can also be added to the resulting dough, if desired.
- The ready dough is poured into a glass tray and placed with the help of a spoon. In the final stage, sesame and black cumin seeds are added and placed in the oven.
To turn this recipe into vegan gluten-free bread, you can choose cauliflower powder instead of eggs, and rice yoghurt that you will make at home instead of standard yoghurt.
*None of the information on this page constitutes a warning or health advice. If you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome or any other digestive problem, you should definitely consult your doctor before consuming lentils.
MD, Prof. Sea South Duman Approved by
Resources:
“Lentils and Legumes”, Coeliac UK, (online)
Joanne Thomas, “Do Lentils Have Gluten?”, Healthy Eating, 2018, (online)
Andrea Boldt, “Do Lentils Have Gluten?”, Healthfully, 2017, (online)
“Lentils, red, dry”, TR Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – National Food Composition Database, (online)
“Lentils, red, dry”, TR Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – National Food Composition Database, (online)
