Meat Sauce Has 2x The Fiber When You Add This Canned Pantry Staple

If you'd asked my family a few years ago whether they would tolerate anything other than meat in their bolognese sauce, you'd have been met with a resounding "no." To be fair, if we're talking the authentic Italian dish, it needs pork, beef, and lots of time and attention. I don't have much of the latter, and like many home cooks, I'm constantly looking for ways to crow-bar more nutrition into relatively speedy meals without spending a fortune. Enter: tinned lentils.

They might not have as much fiber as some ingredients, but adding a can of these bad boys to a meat sauce will definitely double the amount it had before, plus they have more protein than eggs. You can use a smaller tin and reduce the amount of ground beef accordingly, saving money as the former is considerably cheaper than the latter, but I sometimes buy a bigger can and swap them out entirely, tossing in a stock cube if I feel the need to boost the meaty taste.

When combined with a rich tomato sauce, canned lentils have a similar texture to beef, and add just a whisper of savory earthiness. Make sure to give them a really good rinse in cold water before adding them to the pan, as the liquid the lentils come in isn't particularly pleasant. Some people cannot get on with the soft texture of canned lentils, which do tend to disintegrate a little when added to a meat sauce. We think that's one of their biggest advantages, because they're soft, creamy, and less likely to be rejected by any carnivores tucking in.

Tinned lentils are super-convenient because they're ready to use, requiring no more skill than cracking open the can. But they can also be a handy introduction to their dried cousins, which can take up to 45 minutes to cook, depending on the type. Lentils come in four colors, brown — the most commonly canned kind — red or coral, green, and black, known as Beluga lentils, because they look like the swanky caviar.

All of them are mildly flavored, with profiles ranging from the slightly creamy to the gently nutty, so they'll go with just about anything, though if texture is a dealbreaker, green lentils hold their shape best when added to dishes. Aside from adding instant fiber and protein to any recipe, tinned lentils are great sources of potassium, which is hella good for our bodies. They also provide B vitamins and zinc, as well as a good dose of iron, explaining why they're such a popular addition to many vegetarian recipes.

You don't have to be any percentage of veggie to enjoy canned lentils, and sneaking them into a bolognese sauce is just the tip of the iceberg, especially when teaming them with ground beef. They make a magnificent lasagna, curry, or shepherd's pie, and we've used them in tacos and fajitas with great success. Don't sleep on using lentils to thicken a soup or stew, and they pair amazingly with oats in recipes like overnight oats and breakfast muffins.