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Pulses and Pulse Ingredients

Gluten-Free and Organic Pulse Ingredients

Good for you

Pulses are the edible seeds of legumes (plants with a pod), including dry beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas. The name pulse is derived from the Latin puls, meaning thick soup or potage.

Pulses are nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates – high in protein, fiber and micronutrients like iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B and folate, yet low in fat. The nutrients of the pulse ingredients provide for a low glycemic index.

Including gluten-free and organic pulse ingredients in your diet can have health benefits such as reductions in markers for cardiovascular disease1, decreases in insulin levels and improved insulin resistance and improved weight management through increased satiety2,3,5. Pulses are also prebiotic4 with the potential for an improved gut microbiome.

healthy pulse ingredient baking

Pulses are Sustainable Food Options

Good for the planet

Pulses are one of the most sustainable food crops on the planet. They positively impact the soil through nitrogen-fixing, meaning they pull nitrogen from the air and deposit it in their root nodes. These nodes remain in the soil after harvest and provide nutrition for the crop in the rotation the following year, reducing the amount of fertilizer used. It is typical for pulses to be seeded with conservation till. Pulses also require little to no irrigation and have been shown to enhance the soil’s microbiome.

Continue reading on the inherent sustainability of pulse crops and sustainable crop practices.

Canadian Pea Field for pea hull fiber

Reliable Gluten-Free Pulse Supplier

Good for your customers

Avena’s native pulse flours, cracked pulses and grit, as well as Best Cooking Pulses’ whole, split and decorticated pulses, provides a healthy halo, enhancing the nutrition of a food or beverage product. In addition to being high in protein, dietary fiber and micronutrients, these ingredients are low in fat and produced in a facility that does not process any major allergens.

Pulse ingredients also provide functionality – the particle size and distribution of pulse flours, cracked pulses, or grit can be tailored to your specific application or food processing equipment.

Pulse ingredients are incorporated into baking (conventional and gluten-free), snacks (extruded and sheeted), cereals, bars (baked), beverages (wet and dry), batters and breading, processed meat products and plant-based alternatives, soups, sauces and dressings.

Happy Halo with pulse ingredients

Attributes of Avena Best Ingredients

  • gluten-free and allergy-friendly
  • clean and clear label
  • fully traceable
  • certified organic or conventional
  • natural, non-GMO
  • Kosher
  • Halal
  • ready-to-cook (RTC)

Learn more: Avena’s certifications

avena foods best pulse ingredients

Avena foods can ensure a reliable supply of gluten-free and organic pulse ingredients for your business. Contact us today!

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Click below to learn more about Avena's gluten-free pulse ingredients

Native Pulse Flours (RTC)

Cracked Pulses and Pulse Grit

Whole, Split and Decorticated Pulses

We provide solutions

Visit the Avena Solutions Portal to learn about Avena’s new range of ready-to-eat pulse ingredients with targeted functionality and more neutral flavor. Contact us for customized solutions.

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Avena Solutions - ingredients for food manufacturers
Footnotes
  1. Ha V, Sievenpiper JL, de Souza RJ, Jayalath VH, Mirrahimi A, Agarwal A, Chiavaroli L, Mejia SB, Sacks FM, Di Buono M, Bernstein AM, Leiter LA, Kris-Etherton PM, Vuksan V, Bazinet RP, Josse RG, Beyene J, Kendall CWC, Jenkins DJA. 2014. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Canadian Medical Association Journal 186 (8): E252-E262.
  2. Jenkins DJA, Kendall CWC, Augustin LSA, Mitchell S, Sahye-Pudaruth S, Mejia SB, Chiavaroli L, Mirrahimi A, Ireland C, Bashyam B, Vidgen E, de Souza RJ, Sievenpiper JL, Coveney J, Leiter LA, Josse RG. 2012. Effect of legumes as part of a low glycemic index diet on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med 172 (21): 1653-1660.
  3. McCrory MA, Hamaker BR, Lovejoy JC, Eichelsdoerfer PE. 2010. Pulse consumption, satiety, and weight management. Advances in Nutrition 1(1): 17–30.
  4. Siva N, Thavarajah P, Kumar S, Thavarajah D. 2019. Variability in prebiotic carbohydrates in different market classes of chickpea, common bean, and lentil collected from the American local market. Front Nutr 6 (38) 2019;6:38. Published 2019 Apr 3. doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00038
  5. Li SS, Kendall CW, de Souza RJ, Jayalath VH, Cozma AI, Ha V, Mirrahimi A, Chiavaroli L, Augustin LS, Blanco Mejia S, Leiter LA, Beyene J, Jenkins DJ, Sievenpiper JL. 2014. Dietary pulses, satiety and food intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis of acute feeding trials. Obesity (Silver Spring).