Humans need various minerals and nutrients to survive and remain healthy. The two important sources for providing minerals and nutrients are the grains termed as cereals and pulses.
They are cultivated across the world for the needs of humans and animals. They include whole grains, oilseeds, pseudocereals, etc having immense health benefits.
Key Takeaways
- Cereals are grasses grown for their edible grains, while pulses are legumes grown for their edible seeds.
- Cereals are a rich source of carbohydrates, while pulses are a rich source of protein and fibre.
- Examples of cereals include wheat, rice, and corn, while pulses include lentils, chickpeas, and beans.
Cereals vs Pulses
The difference between cereals and pulses is that Cereals are a kind of grass which is cultivated on a large scale for their carbohydrates, they can grow in any kind of climate except cold areas and deserts, on the other hand, pulses are a type of luminous plant that grows inside pods having single or multiple seeds inside it, pulses need less moisture to grow, therefore, can be cultivated in any kind of climate.
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Cereals are a type of grass that belongs to the Poaceae/ Graminaceae family of the Plantae kingdom. They are termed as whole grains that need refinement for the removal of bran from it.
Pulses are the dry grains belonging to the Leguminosae family of the Plantae kingdom. Pulses that are rich in protein and amino acids are also known as Annual Legumes.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Cereals | Pulses |
|---|---|---|
| What are they? | Cereals are a type of grass that is cultivated due to their nutritional potential. The fruit of it is botanically termed as Caryopsis. | Pulses are a type of leguminous crop that grows inside a pod having single or multiple seeds in it. They may contain one to twelve seeds in a pod. |
| Classification | Cereals belong to the Poaceae family of Poales order of Plantae kingdom. | Pulses belong to the Leguminosae family of Fabales order of Plantae kingdom. |
| Climate suitable for production and are grown in | Cereals can grow in any kind of climate and soil except cold areas and deserts. Cereals are produced on a large scale in America, Europe, Africa and China. | Pulses need less moisture to grow therefore can survive even in dry conditions. Some pulses grow in the warm climate of summers whereas some grow in the cold weather of winters. India is a leading producer and consumer of pulses. |
| Nutritional value | Cereals contain a large amount of carbohydrates and thus they are often termed as the greatest energy supplier of humans. During the refining processes iron, thiamine, riboflavin is added to them. Some cereals that are made from whole grains may contain minerals, vitamins and protein apart from carbohydrates. | Pulses are rich in amino acids, protein, oils, etc. Some pulses are also rich in carbohydrates. |
| Examples | Some examples of cereals are corn, barley, rice, wheat, maize, oats, etc. | Some examples of pulses are lentils, chickpeas, cowpeas, dry beans, etc. |
What are Cereals?
Cereals are the grasses that belong to the Poaceae or Graminaceae family of Poales order of Plantae kingdom. They are also known as whole grains that need refinement for the removal of bran and germs from it.
Cereals are a rich source of carbohydrates, therefore, they serve as the energy suppliers to humans. When they are under the refinement process minerals like iron, thiamine, riboflavin are added to make it nutrient rich.
Some cereals that are made from whole grains contain minerals, vitamins and protein apart from carbohydrates.
Cereals have the potential to grow in any kind of climate and soil except cold areas and deserts. Cereals are produced in America, Europe, Africa and China on a large scale where they are taken as a staple food.
Examples of cereals include rice, corn, wheat, barley, etc.
What are Pulses?
Pulses are the dry grains that belong to the Leguminosae family of Fabales order of Plantae kingdom. Pulses that are rich in protein and amino acids are also known as Annual Legumes.
Pulses are rich in amino acids, protein, fiber, vitamins, oils and other minerals. They have a lower content of carbohydrates, however, there are some exceptions that are carbohydrates rich.
Some pulses are also rich in potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, etc.
Pulses need less moisture to survive, therefore, they survive easily even in dry conditions. Some varieties of it grow in the warm climate of summers and are said to be adaptable to the summers whereas some varieties grow in the cold weather.
India is a leading producer and consumer of pulses. Some examples of pulses include lentils, cowpeas, chickpeas, dry beans, kidney beans, pigeon beans, lupins, etc.
Main Differences Between Cereals and Pulses
- Cereals are a type of grass that is harvested for the carbohydrates they provide whereas pulses are a type of leguminous plant that grows inside a pod.
- Cereals and Pulses are the grains that belong to the Plantae kingdom.
- Cereals are classified under the Poaceae family of Paoles order whereas Pulses are the grains that are classified under the Leguminosae family of Fabales order.
- Cereals need a good amount of moisture therefore they can not survive in the dry conditions of cold regions and deserts whereas pulses need less moisture for their cultivation, therefore, can be grown in any type of climate.
- Cereals are the inhabitants of the regions where moisture is present, on the other hand, some pulses are adaptive to the warm conditions of summer and some are adaptive to the cold conditions of winters.
- Cereals are grown or produced on a large scale due to human needs but pulses are not produced widely.
- Cereals are mainly rich in carbohydrates, during the refinement process iron and other minerals are added to them, on the other hand, pulses are a good source of protein and amino acids, sometimes they may also contain carbohydrates and oils.
- Some examples of cereals are rice, wheat, maize, corn, market, etc, whereas examples of pulses are lentils, chickpeas, cowpeas, dry beans, etc.
- https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF02436061.pdf
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=v-lo0Kwta7YC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=cereals+and+pulses&ots=PLEN7PF_12&sig=0k2XSUMNSmMS8MogYIeKmVlrBUw
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
