Dry beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils are getting a year in celebration with the UN announcing the 2016 International Year of Pulses.

Pulses are high in protein. fibre, and vitamins, and are linked to a decreased risk of heart attack and stroke. The International Year of Pulses will demonstrate the importance of pulses to nutrition and health, as well as they role they play in global food security, with over 800 million people around the world suffering from undernourishment and health problems due to poor diets.

Francois Labelle, executive director of Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG), says they hope to encourage Manitobans to eat more pulses, noting he's already seen pulses added into many food items, such as crackers.

"Pulses can be milled into flour," he says, "they're already broken up into the various of fractions: the proteins, the starches, etc., and used in a number of difference food items that way."

This year, Manitoba growers produced approximately $100 million-worth of pulses. Labelle hopes to see this grow even more thanks to the International Year of Pulses.

"That's what we're hoping it will do -- increase demand, which in turn will be positive for both prices and potential market volume," he says.

MPSG says it plans to launch an awareness campaign in January for Manitoba consumers.