What warning signs should you be looking out for when purchasing lentils? Are they all gluten-free? Lentils are one of the most natural foods available, so they must be safe for us to eat? Well, not always…
Let’s take a deeper look into the world of lentils!
Table of Contents
What Are Lentils?
Lentils are part of the legume family. They grow in pods and look like tiny lenses. They’re known to have a very mild, earthy flavor. Like other legumes, lentils are extremely good for you. They are high in protein and fiber and are great when working towards a balanced diet. They’re a great food to lean on after a celiac diagnosis, and a filling swap for the wheat-based grains you’ll no longer be able to eat.
Other legumes you may like to include in your diet are beans and peas, like the ones in our guide to canned black beans.
Are Lentils Gluten-Free?
In their purest form, lentils are gluten-free. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley, and you won’t find it in any part of the legume family – lentils included. That’s why people on a gluten-free diet are often encouraged to add legumes like lentils to their meals.
However, there is a real chance of cross-contact. Lentils are often grown and handled near wheat and barley, so stray grains can end up in the bag. This isn’t just a theory: in a 2022 study shared by Gluten Free Watchdog, researchers hand-sorted 25 bags of dry lentils, and 2 of them contained wheat or barley grains. Even one intact gluten grain in a one-pound bag is enough to push it over the 20 ppm limit for a gluten-free label.
So whatever brand you buy, gluten-free label or not, sort your dry lentils by hand on a plate or tray and pick out anything that isn’t a lentil. Then rinse them well under running water to remove any grain dust before cooking. Choosing a brand with a gluten-free label is still a good idea – we’ll look at some soon. You can learn more about how this happens in our post on cross-contamination vs. cross-contact.
This is the case for any kind of lentils – brown, red, green, etc. They all carry the same risks, so it’s always best to be as careful as you can be.
Gluten-Free Lentils Brands
Even though lentils are naturally gluten-free, some brands take cross-contact more seriously than others. Let’s take a look at a couple of options.
Just Natural Organic
Just Natural Organic is a UK company, and its gluten-free lentils are certified by Coeliac UK. The company says they’re made on dedicated gluten-free lines, tested at several stages of production, and contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.
It’s worth checking out if you’re in the UK, since they have a big range of gluten-free products. You can find out more about Just Natural Organic here.
Nuts.Com
Nuts.Com is a handy US online store for legumes. They have a gluten-free section and a separate certified gluten-free section on their site. Be careful, though: not every lentil product there is gluten-free. Their Organic Sprouted Lentil Blend, for example, isn’t labeled gluten-free and its label says it “may contain” wheat. If you have celiac disease, stick to items in the certified gluten-free section and check each product page. Check out their lentils here.
Whichever brand you pick, ingredients and labels can change, so always check the package before you buy.
Health Benefits from Lentils
You may even find some health benefits when adding lentils to your diet. As we mentioned earlier, they’re high in protein and fiber, and they’re a good source of folate and iron. Studies have found that eating pulses like lentils can help lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
If you’re struggling with how to add lentils to your diet, why not try adding them to pilaf, dahl, soups, chili, or salads? They go well in most meals, really! Dahl is a great place to start – see our guide to gluten-free Indian food. You can also blend cooked lentils into a dip, much like our homemade hummus.
Conclusion
I hope this post has helped to answer the question: do lentils contain gluten? Lentils themselves are gluten-free, but stray wheat and barley grains do turn up in bags. If you’re particularly sensitive to gluten or have celiac disease, choose labeled gluten-free lentils when you can, and always sort and rinse them before cooking.
For more naturally gluten-free meal ideas, browse our gluten-free meals and world foods hub.
Sources: Gluten Free Watchdog: lentils and gluten cross contact; Just Natural Organic brown lentils; Nuts.com Organic Sprouted Lentil Blend; Harvard Nutrition Source: legumes and pulses.
Club Gluten Free shares practical, well-researched guides to gluten-free ingredients, products, restaurants and recipes. We check manufacturer statements and celiac organization guidance, and update our guides when products change.