Green Lentils

Lentils are grown for their edible seeds, which are harvested when the pods mature. Suppliers clean and grade the dry crop. Pet food suppliers may mill green lentils so they mix into a dry food recipe.^4,8,9

1. 01 // Source Mature lentil pods Green lentil seeds are harvested after the pods turn yellow and the crop begins to dry.
2. 02 // Process Cleaned and graded Cleaning removes material outside the seed crop before representative samples are graded.
3. 03 // Process Milled if needed Some pet food suppliers mill green lentils and blend them with other pulse ingredients.
4. 04 // Output Dry green lentils Cleaned seeds or milled green lentils arrive as a starch and protein ingredient.

1. 01

   Supplies kibble starch

   Green lentils provide starch for energy in recipes that use pulses instead of grain. Their fiber and protein come along with it.^4,7

2. 02

   Raises measured protein

   Lentil protein counts toward the guaranteed crude protein figure. That figure does not separate plant protein from animal protein or show their different amino acid profiles.^4,6,7

3. 03

   Offers a cost option

   One pet food ingredient supplier sells blends containing milled green lentils and says they lower production costs. It provides no price comparison to verify that sales claim.⁹

How much A 28-day dog trial fed 42% red lentil flour; that tested amount does not describe green lentils.²

1. Brands say

   Green lentils add starch and plant protein

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Canadian green lentil samples contained 43.2 to 44.4% starch in seed composites and 24.2 to 32.3% protein across individual samples. Both count in a recipe, but the protein figure alone does not show amino acid balance.^4,7

2. Brands say

   Green lentils keep a dog's blood sugar steady

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A 6-dog pilot fed cooked green lentils and found no significant glucose difference versus rice, P = 0.569. The authors note 10 g of available carbohydrate was too small a dose and that the glycemic index method itself is not validated in dogs.¹

3. Owners say

   Green lentils cause canine heart disease

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   FDA sees pulses high on many foods named in heart disease reports but has not identified a cause. In an 8-dog, 28-day trial, stroke volume was lower after a red lentil diet than a commercial diet, but no DCM-associated changes appeared. Green lentils were untested.^2,3,5

4. Brands say

   Lentil protein can replace meat completely

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Lentils run short on sulfur amino acids. In the 8-dog red lentil trial, protein and methionine digestibility were lower than with the rice diet, which also contained more animal protein. That trial cannot validate complete replacement.^2,4

5. Critics say

   Green lentils are just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Green lentils supply starch, fiber and protein: tested seed composites contained about 44% starch and 15% dietary fiber. The useful concern is how much of the food's protein comes from pulses.^6,7