"Legume plants are unique in the plant kingdom because they fix much of their own nitrogen in the soil from the air. The pulse crops in particular are very good at fixing nitrogen. They require none to very little fertiliser to produce a good crop, which is absolutely critical."

"For the developed world, like the United States, [which has] problems with weight management, these crops offer super high protein and an excellent source of dietary fibre. These foods will keep you full longer and will help with weight management. From the UN's perspective, these are absolutely critical to food security. People don't need as much dietary fibre in the developing countries, but they need the protein. In combination with a cereal grain like wheat or rice or corn, these crops are a complete vegetable plant protein, and they're environmentally sustainable.

"In the Green Revolution [research and development and technology transfer initiatives that occurred between the 1930s and the late 60s], a lot of research efforts were focused on cereal grains. We tripled the yields of these crops, these cereal grain crops, and put calories around the world. We have enough calories to feed everybody. But what was left behind in that huge research effort were pulse crops. And I think they're just as critical to food security."

"Yes. The word 'pulse' is from a Latin word, , that means 'thick soup'. One reason the Romans were able to conquer the world is because they had lentils and pulse crops that they carried with them in their knapsacks. They'd have some rice and they'd have some pulses in some form, a lot of lentils in particular, and dry beans. They would cook up their own vegetable protein, and they could go long distances, which they did, without having to kill animals and without all that spoilage."

"I hope we can raise awareness of the importance of these crops to human health and to food security around the world. In our family we eat quinoa, and it's a great product. But it's also a terrifically expensive crop because it's grown in a limited area. Pulses, though, are grown around the world. There's a pulse in every single culture." (Pulses grown in China include the broad bean, which is also called the Sichuan bean, because of its popularity in the province's cuisine. India is the world's largest producer and the largest consumer of pulses.)

"These are really important crops in a crop rotation. These are low-input crops and low water-use crops."

"It's a huge concern. It's about having the water resources to produce food. These crops use a tenth of the water of other protein sources. They're just a critical component as we increase our population around the world, heading towards nine billion people. We've got to have these crops. We've got to have better science. We have to make these crops more productive."

"When the Europeans descended upon the Americas, they brought pulses with them, because they are portable, they are storable and they were a staple. But we are a meat culture, a meat protein culture. We are not under-proteined in this country. We are over-proteined. That's a great thing, but people are starting to look more and more at plant proteins because of a lot of different factors. Health is one and sustainability is certainly another."

"Absolutely. Our consumer research has shown that people don't know how to use them, and they're intimidated by them, especially in their dry form - for dry beans, for example, they have to soak them overnight. However, of course, there are canned products. There also is now flash-frozen coming on the scene. You literally rip the bag open and heat it up a little bit and it's ready to go."

"Split peas and lentils are as fast to cook as pasta, quinoa and rice. If you're willing to cook rice, then lentils and split peas, you can cook those as well. But people don't know. That's the beauty of having this designation. It gives us an opportunity to tell people how versatile these products are, how to cook them, how they really assume the flavours, the spices, that you put in them. That's what we're hoping, that we can get that message out: Don't be intimidated."

"With the chickpeas that I raise, of course, we make hummus. Hummus has taken centre stage, and it's tremendous. And roasted chickpeas are terrific.

"Another thing, with lentils, they cook really quickly, so in our house, since my wife, Christine, is into green drinks, we are actually now including lentils as a purée right in with our smoothie. I'm telling you, getting that good protein hit early in the morning is a game-changer."

This recipe makes six to eight servings.

The classic pairing of black beans and sweet potatoes becomes a deeply flavoured, warming winter stew. It gets a touch of smoky flavour from the combination of chipotle and smoked paprika.

The chilli can be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to three months.

This recipe is adapted from one in , by Gena Hamshaw (Ten Speed Press, 2015).

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for eight minutes, or until tender and translucent. Add the sweet potato and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and the sweet potato is just starting to soften (eight to 10 minutes). Add the chopped chipotle, ancho chilli powder, cumin and smoked paprika; cook, stirring constantly, until the spices are very fragrant and well distributed (about one minute).

Stir in the diced tomato, black beans and broth; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, so the liquid is barely bubbling. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender (30 to 35 minutes), adding broth as needed to achieve your desired consistency.

Stir in the salt; taste, and add more as needed.

Let the chilli sit for a few minutes so the flavours meld. Serve hot, topped with the avocado and chives.

Nutrition per serving (based on eight portions): 210 calories, 9 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 10 grams dietary fibre, 7 grams sugar.

This recipes makes four eight-ounce smoothies.

You'd never guess that the protein in this brightly flavoured smoothie comes from lentils.

Frozen lentils can be found in some supermarkets, but you can also cook any variety of lentil you like, drain well and freeze at least overnight.

Combine the apple juice, coconut oil, spinach, pineapple, frozen lentils and frozen mango in a blender; purée until smooth.

Divide among glasses; serve right away.

Nutrition per serving: 210 calories, 5 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 20mg sodium, 5 grams dietary fibre, 20 grams sugar.

This party appetiser has a fraction of the fat found in nuts but is just as snackable. Consider the recipe as more of a formula; you can use your favourite spices and spice blends instead of the Indian chaat masala called for here. Substitute za'atar, Chinese five-spice, ras el hanout, dukkah, Old Bay, Spanish smoked paprika and more. This recipe makes 12 servings.

The roasted chickpeas can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Celsius.

Dry the chickpeas thoroughly on paper towels by gently rolling them, then spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat, then sprinkle with the salt. Roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on the outside (20 to 30 minutes).

Remove from the oven. Taste, and sprinkle with more salt as needed, then season with chaat masala (or another spice), tossing or stirring until the chickpeas are evenly coated.

For maximum crispness, serve warm; once the chickpeas have cooled they will be less crisp but addictively chewy.

Nutrition per serving: 80 calories, 4 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium, 3 grams dietary fibre, 2 grams sugar.

The Washington Post