Episode 3

full
Published on:

24th Mar 2026

'A Legume A Day' with Chelsea Didinger, Ph.D.

Dr. Chelsea Didinger is the founder of the online platform "A Legume A Day.” Didinger uses her PhD in nutrition to share her passion for the benefits of beans and legumes. She highlights not just their health advantages but also their role in sustainable agriculture through her online platform and presence. In this episode today, she discusses the global trends in pulse consumption, the nutritional benefits that make them a perfect food, and practical ways to incorporate more pulses into everyday meals.

“ I want people to know that it doesn't have to be hard. Again, you could sometimes make those swaps, like have a pulse based pasta or sometimes add chickpea flour to your baking, or pick the dishes that you really like and just add pulses to that, or crisp up some chickpeas, crisp up some lentils, and just sprinkle those on. It doesn't have to be hard. There are canned products. You can cook from dry. Whatever fits into your schedule and works realistically, you don't want to set this goal that's unattainable. So I think that's a good place to start.” - Dr. Chelsea Didinger


This Week on Growing Pulse Crops:

  1. Meet Dr. Chelsea Didinger, the founder of "A Legume A Day” who uses her PhD in nutrition to share her passion for the benefits of beans and legumes
  2. Explore why Didinger feels pulses are the “perfect food” and the many different uses she proposes that consumers might not initially consider to incorporate pulses into their diets
  3. Discover bonus benefits to pulses including protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and additional phytonutrients and phytochemicals



Growing Pulse Crops is produced by Dr. Audrey Kalil and hosted by Tim Hammerich of the Future of Agriculture Podcast.


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About the Podcast

Growing Pulse Crops
The science and business of farming field peas, chickpeas, and lentils
This show features the latest in research, agronomy, and economics of pulse crops (peas, chickpeas, lentils, etc.).

Demand for these nutrient-dense, high-protein foods continues to grow. There is also interest from farmers to include more pulses into diverse rotations for benefits like nitrogen fixation and soil health.

But the industry continues to face challenges, and we are eager to address these head on. So if you’re a pulse grower or in any way interested in these important crops, hit subscribe and stay tuned for future episodes. We’ll be back with plenty of information about challenges pulse farmers are facing throughout the U.S. and what solutions are working.

Brought to you by the Pulse Crops Working Group with support from the Northern Pulse Growers Association

About your host

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Tim Hammerich

I share stories about agriculture, agtech, and agribusiness on podcasts and radio.