Historically, Cretans have eaten only what their land produced: lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and pulses the dried seeds of legumes such as lentils, beans and peas.

NPR: Crete: Ancient Diet with Modern Message

While vegan foods, such as spinach, almonds, lentils and tofu offer some iron, the iron from plant foods does not boost iron stores as effectively.

CNN: Will eating meat help recovery after long runs?

Over the past few years, it has convened a series of meetings that brought together leading experts for each of the main food crops, such as wheat, rice, lentils and maize.

BBC: 'Climate-proof' crop hunt begins

India's government usually increases assured prices paid to farmers each year for key staples such as wheat, rice and lentils, aiming to support their incomes and ensure that they don't switch to other less important crops.

WSJ: India Set For Normal Monsoon

The ship contains food items such as corn, wheat, soybean flour, vegetable oil and lentils.

BBC: Afghanistan: Should aid take precedence?