Fortunately I've managed to get through the week without being accosted by the SPCA. Following my medication mix-up last week, I had a billion e-mails from people all wanting to know why I had canine tranquilisers in the house. So let me reassure you — I do not make a habit of drugging poor Jasper!

We had the tranquilisers last summer to help stop him scratching a rash at night. He did have the lampshade collar but as he kept walking into walls and was generally traumatised by it, the vet recommended meds.

Anyway, perhaps I should re-think my heart-on-sleeve approach. As one friend put it, it's one thing to accidentally sedate your dog, but quite another to share it with the whole Island. However, I'm a big fan of the over-share. I find it one of the best ways to get — and keep — people reading.

This column is about lentils after all. And since when did you read about lentils?

When I was growing up I put lentils in the same category as tofu and beansprouts: waaaaay too healthy. I certainly wanted to eat right, but I drew the line here as neither of these ever seemed appealing. It was only when I trained as a nutritional therapist that I was forced to change my mind. No self-respecting therapist can go around encouraging others to be healthy if they can't even look a lentil squarely in the eye.

When I actually tried them, I loved them — bursting with vegetarian protein, fibre, B vitamins, zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium, these little powerhouses of nutrients actually turned out to be quite tasty.

The problem was, cooking them was not exactly speedy — a deal breaker for us both then and now. However, although I'm not generally an advocate of tinned food, the Eden Organic line of beans, lentils and tomatoes is fantastic.

Tinned food is normally heavily processed, full of additives and sugar and in many ways is nutritionally "dead".

In contrast, the Eden Organic products are free from irradiation, preservatives, toxic additives, food colouring, refined sugar and genetically engineered ingredients.

The company philosophy is also inspiring. They buy locally first, use bio-diesel fuel and use recycled pallet-wrap that reduces landfill waste by 50 percent. They also use 80 percent recycled steel for their buildings and have a super energy efficient lighting policy.

Further, Eden Organic is the only US-based food company to use a Bisphenol-A (BPA) free lining for their cans. (BPA plastic has recently hit the press as researched revealed it to be a potential endocrine-disrupter, affecting hormone levels in both males and females. See www.ewg.org for more details.)

The range is extensive and widely available in grocery stores in Bermuda. While everything is good, their lentils are perhaps my favourite product — especially if you need a wholesome quick fix.

Here are some suggestions for how to use them:

• Drain half the liquid and then literally heat and serve as a side-dish to baked chicken or fish

• Heat and serve with wholegrain rice for good quality vegetarian protein

• Finely dice tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms and simmer with the lentils till the veggies are cooked through

• Stir the lentils through some chili or bolognaise sauce to cheat fussy eaters into having more fibre or just to dilute the animal protein (and saturated fat)

• Use to add bulk and protein to vegetable soups or chilies

As an added bonus, the Eden Organic line is fairly cheap. A tin of lentils will set you back less than $2.50 so it's certainly an economic option. More quick fixes next week!

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist. She can be contactedby e-mail at this address: clinicalnutrition@gmail.com.