When Nurse Duncan Looks for a Pulse, He Usually Chooses Lentils!

Ever have a word in your vocabulary, but were unable to provide a dictionary-like definition? Well, I'm not a lexicographer, which--if you were to look it up--is "a writer, editor, or compiler of a dictionary."
So I was chatting with a professional writer and I was talking about meal planning and I threw in the word pulse. It's "the edible seeds of certain leguminous plants, as peas, beans, or lentils." What makes it different from saying beans? Beans are pulses, but it seems the only part of the bean that is classified as such would be the seed itself (not the pod). Some pods are edible. I don't think I've ever seen the pod in which a lentil grows.

And after I had just written that I decided to look it up. Here it is. Not many seeds per pod. Looks labor intensive to harvest. But the outcome makes some good pickings.
One-half cup of cooked lentils has:

• Calories: 140.
• Fat: 0.5 grams.
• Carbs: 23 grams.
• Fiber: 9 grams.
• Sodium: 5 milligrams.
• Protein: 12 grams.

While I am not a vegetarian, I do make sure that there are fruits and vegetables in the daily choices. This one, I believe will be added more frequently.