Why lentils make you gassy and bloated and how to fix it by @wendythefoodscientist If lentils make you gassy, you're probably not preparing them properly. And it’s not your fault, because too many recipes online skip these essential steps, so that is why I want to raise awareness in this post. Here are 5 tips to prevent gas and bloating: For raw dried lentils: 1. Always wash your lentils: not just for hygiene, but to remove dust, field debris, and surface-level compounds that can affect digestion. 2. Soak for 8–12 hours: this pulls out oligosaccharides, the fermentable sugars your body can’t digest, and begins to reduce antinutrients like phytic acid and tannins. These interfere with digestion and nutrient absorption. This step is most effective. 3. Rinse again after soaking: the soaking water now contains the stuff you want to get rid of. A good rinse prevents you from cooking those compounds right back in. 4. Never use the soak water for cooking: I have seen some recipes doing this… but it’s full of gas-causing compounds and bitter-tasting tannins that you want to remove by soaking it. Why remove them first and add them right back in? Always discard! 5. Cook your lentils completely: undercooked lentils are tough on your gut, with more resistant starch and incomplete breakdown of digestion inhibitors like trypsin inhibitors. Next level tips: 1. Cooking lentils with seaweed (like kombu) can reduce gas-causing sugars even more than soaking alone. Seaweed contains natural enzymes and compounds that help break down raffinose and stachyose (two oligosaccharides responsible for bloating and gas). 2. Sprout your lentils for best digestibility. This is still very uncommon but very effective. For canned lentils: Canned lentils are pre-cooked and often easier to digest, but they still need rinsing. Rinse them well to remove excess sodium and the brine that contains some residual oligosaccharides. Note: These tips are intended for generally healthy individuals. If you have a digestive disorder or follow a special diet (like low-FODMAP), consult your healthcare provider for personalized advice. 📩 Share this with someone who has a gas problem 😝 #lentils #lentilrecipe #guthealth #foodscience #fromscratchcooking #healthyeating #plantbasedprotein #digestivehealth #wendythefoodscientist
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In India we always soak the dal (lentils) before cooking it. In old times dal used to be cooked on clay stove with low heat for hours and that enhances the taste a lot.
You can use the soaked water to water your plants
Awesome video. Also when cooking lentils dont forget to add cumin ginger or garlic and a pinch of asafoetida aka hing. These bad boys do a great job of preventing gas formation and aid digestion. Also small lentils if they soak for 3 to 5 hours, its enough. For better soaking, hot water does wonders. Also adding turmeric powder during cooking works beautifully. Again aids digestion and prevents gas. If you are soaking and grinding them to a batter/dough, add a pinch of carrom leaves or carrom seeds while grinding. This bad boy does help better digestion prevents gas and tastes great. Happy cooking! 😊
Ok i am an Indian and we have been eating lentils forever so you have to wash them until the water runs clean but soak is a bit complicated. So it depends on each lentil for soaking the only formula is , if it takes time to cook soak it overnight but if doesn't there no need to soak it for 12 hours, 2 hours Max and 30 mins minimum is fine. But the crucial thing is i hope you are cooking your lentils in an open pot not a pressure cooker if you are cooking in an open pot when the lentils come to boil there will be a white foamy kind of thing on the top make sure you remove , hope it helps happy eating😊😊😊
I think this applies to beans as well. These are all great things to do.
This is much more informative than the bag instructions: "rinse thoroughly". Thank you for showing us what that really means. ❤
I could cry fr. I’m having a hard time making myself eat or cook. I wish keeping my gut under control and comfortable didn’t take as much effort. Just feeling sad. Lovely video though and some great information
Soak, rinse, boil till you see foam forming, discard hot foamy water and only then start your cooking process either in a pressure cooker or in a dish.
One more step- when you cook skim the gassy stuff from the top. Keep using a spoon to pull it off until it's not there anymore
I remember being told to add bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to the soaking water and then rinsing extremely well the next day
I love those jars! Where did you buy them?
Are those tall pickling jars? They look so cool!
I also pit in 1/3rd tsp of baking soda in with the cooking lentils, that also helps a lot. Also cooking with a pressure cooker makes them much easier digestible for me. It's easier to cook them fully soft.
Being a South Indian I eat a lot of lentils and a bunch of different kinds too, ofcourse we wash it before cooking but never soak it. I have never had any issues with that it has never caused an gas either.
Thank you!! I always have to take BeanAid or Beano to have beans and cruciferous veggies so I don’t get sharp-feeling trapped gas
Thank you so much for these tips. I have a sensitive stomach but really want to add lentils into my diet. I couldn't figure out why my stomach was so uneasy after eating lentils.
Interesting with other beans.Yes do all these things. but I always was told hunters don't need all this extra work except the rinsing. We've never had problems with gas. The gas probably comes with an increase in fiber too quickly that you're not used to.
I also learned to cook lentils slow and long on low heat. Somehow it enhances the flavor when they slowly disintegrate into the stew. I love making vegan Bolognese or Indian stew recipes from my friend from lentils.
I have a couple of Ayurveda cookbooks at home, but NO ONE explain this....thank you very much
Use asafoetida and caram seeds for good digestion