Pulses are an extremely healthy food due to their high protein content relative to other vegetables. People eat the pulses seeds whole, dehulled or as a flour. Pulses are the seeds of certain plants of the legume family - plants that produce seeds or grains that grow within pods, such as lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas. Pulses are legume crops that are grown for their dry seeds to be used as food or grain.