What is the difference between pulses and legumes?

December 23, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), all pulses are legumes, but not all legumes are pulses. This simple but crucial distinction is at the core of understanding these two important food groups and their place in a healthy diet.

Quick Summary

A legume is any plant in the Fabaceae family, while a pulse refers specifically to the dried, edible seed of a legume plant. Understanding this distinction clarifies the relationship between beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, and soybeans.

Key Points

Categorical Difference: Legumes are a broad plant family, while pulses are a specific subcategory of legumes.
Harvest State: Pulses are always harvested as mature, dry seeds, differentiating them from legumes eaten fresh, like green beans.
Fat Content: Pulses are low in fat, a characteristic that excludes high-oil legumes such as peanuts and soybeans from this classification.
Edible Part: The term 'legume' can refer to the entire plant (roots, stems, leaves, pods), whereas 'pulse' refers specifically to the edible, dry seed.
Soil Health Benefits: Both types are valuable nitrogen-fixers, enhancing soil fertility, but pulses offer a specific, low-fat protein source.
Examples: Lentils, chickpeas, and dry beans are pulses, while fresh peas, peanuts, and soybeans are legumes but not pulses.

What Defines Legumes?

Legumes are plants from the Fabaceae family. Their fruit grows in a pod with seeds inside. The term 'legume' can cover the whole plant, including leaves, stems, pods, and seeds. This large family has over 20,000 species and is used for human food, animal feed, and improving soil.

Examples of legumes include:

Dry beans
Lentils
Dry peas
Fresh peas and green beans
Peanuts
Soybeans
Alfalfa and clover

The Role of Nitrogen Fixation

Legumes can add nitrogen to the soil. This happens because bacteria on their roots turn nitrogen from the air into a form plants can use, which helps the legume and future crops grown there.

What Defines Pulses?

Pulses are a specific kind of legume: the dried, edible seeds. This is the main difference: pulses are only the mature, dry seeds from a legume plant. This means legumes like fresh peas, green beans, soybeans, and peanuts are not considered pulses. For a plant to be a pulse, it must be harvested just for its dry seeds, not for eating fresh or for oil.

Examples of pulses include:

Lentils
Chickpeas
Dried beans
Dried peas
Cowpeas
Pigeon peas

Pulses are packed with nutrients like protein, fiber, iron, zinc, and folate, and they are low in fat. They last a long time, making them a key food in many parts of the world.

Comparison Table: Pulses vs. Legumes


Feature	Legumes	Pulses
Scope	A broad botanical category including the entire plant.	A specific subcategory referring only to the edible, dry seeds.
Harvest State	Can be harvested and consumed fresh (green peas, green beans) or dry.	Must be harvested as dry, mature seeds.
Form	Refers to the whole plant, including leaves, stems, pods, and seeds.	Refers only to the dry seeds inside the pod.
Fat Content	Varies widely; includes both low-fat types (pulses) and high-fat types (peanuts, soybeans).	Consistently low in fat.
Examples	Alfalfa, clover, peanuts, soybeans, fresh beans, dry beans, lentils.	Dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas.
Culinary Use	Includes fresh vegetables and oil-producing seeds, in addition to dry seeds.	Primarily used for cooking in their dry, edible seed form.

Legumes that are NOT Pulses

Here are some common legumes that aren't pulses:

Fresh Peas: Eaten fresh, not dried.
Green Beans: Eaten fresh with the pod before seeds dry.
Peanuts: High in oil and usually seen as nuts when cooking.
Soybeans: Also high in oil and fat compared to pulses.

Why the Distinction Matters for Nutrition and Sustainability

Knowing the difference is useful for nutrition and the environment. Pulses are especially good for you because they are lean, high in fiber, and full of protein. Legumes like peanuts and soybeans are also healthy but have more fat.

Legumes help improve soil health, but pulses are particularly important for farming that is good for the environment. They need less water and fertilizer than many other crops, making them an efficient protein source. The FAO highlights pulses to help improve food availability and environmental health worldwide. You can learn more at the Food and Agriculture Organization website.

Conclusion

Simply put, pulses are a part of the legume family. All pulses are legumes, but not all legumes are pulses. Legumes are the plant group, and pulses are the dry, edible seeds from certain legumes. Understanding this helps clarify food terms, make better food choices, and recognize the different roles these plants play in our diets and the environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, peanuts are legumes but are not classified as pulses. While they are seeds from a legume plant, their high oil content differentiates them from pulses, which are defined as low-fat dry seeds.

Green beans are legumes. They are not pulses because they are harvested and eaten fresh, not as a dry, mature seed.

Yes, all pulses are legumes. Pulses are a subcategory of the larger legume family, consisting of the dried, edible seeds.

The main difference is fat content. Pulses are low in fat, while other legumes, like peanuts and soybeans, have a significantly higher fat content.

Common examples of pulses include chickpeas, all varieties of dry beans (such as kidney and pinto), and all types of lentils.

The distinction is important because pulses are specifically defined as crops harvested for dry grain, excluding those grown for oil or used as green vegetables. This helps differentiate their agricultural and nutritional profiles.

While they come from the same plant family, pulses and fresh legumes are used differently in cooking. Pulses typically require soaking and longer cooking times, while fresh legumes are prepared like other vegetables.

No, soybeans are legumes but are not considered pulses. Similar to peanuts, they are oilseed legumes and have a high fat content.