Do you have a son who isn’t yet in college? Or did you once? If so, you may already know that many boys don’t really eat lunch at school. You pack a thoughtful, tasty meal—sometimes with their help—but if your school lets recess begin as soon as kids are “finished” eating, most boys have only one thing on their minds: getting outside to play. My son is the same. He grabs what he can on the way to the field and leaves the rest in his lunchbox, saving it for when he gets home. He doesn’t want to miss being picked for the better team or waste time sitting and eating when he could be doing what he loves most: playing ball.
Mr. Picky is in second grade and this behavior started in kindergarten. Other parents have told me it often continues for years. So it felt like a milestone when he said he wanted to take a thermos to school—not for soup, but to bring lentils for lunch. That was huge, and even better: the thermos came back empty. Mission accomplished.
I don’t dwell on why he prefers lentils; what matters is that they’re an excellent, low-fat source of protein and packed with fiber, which helps him feel full longer and stabilizes blood sugar. With Halloween approaching, this recipe fits my strategy for the night: I can’t—and won’t—ban candy, but I make sure my kids eat a satisfying, nutritious dinner beforehand so they’re less likely to gorge on sweets while trick-or-treating.
My mother used to make braised lentils—similar to a thick lentil soup—often flavored with a piece of pork or a smoked ham hock. I don’t eat pork, so I use smoked paprika to recreate that smoky note. My son insists it tastes like there’s a hot dog in it. If that helps your kids try lentils, you could add a nitrate-free hot dog or another familiar protein. I frequently prepare the lentils as a vegetarian dish because they’re rich in protein, but here I paired them with precooked organic chicken or turkey sausages for a quick, kid-friendly meal. Baking the sausages is an easy, low-mess option and there are no mysterious ingredients to worry about.
Smoky Braised Lentils with (or without) Turkey Sausages
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unrefined olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2-3 teaspoons smoked paprika, Spice Hunter is a good, easy-to-find brand. Spicely Organic has no flavor.
- 1 cup organic black or French lentils*, sorted and rinsed
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, optional
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, + ½ teaspoon if you don’t cook sausages with lentils
- 2 ½ cups water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 packages precooked Applegate Farms Sweet Italian or Chicken Apple sausages, 4/package
Instructions
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In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes.
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Add the carrots, garlic and paprika. Cook for 2 more minutes.
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Add the lentils, thyme, salt and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Halfway through cooking, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Bake sausages on a baking sheet until heated through, about 15–20 minutes. Slice into thirds and serve with the lentils. Alternatively, cut the sausages into halves or thirds and add them to the lentils halfway through cooking so they heat through in the pot.
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If the lentils seem too liquidy, simmer uncovered for a few minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
Notes
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