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The humble bean is quite the super food: packed with calcium, iron, potassium, B vitamins, plus about a quarter of the protein and half the fiber recommended daily for adults—all in a single serving. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, beans may even lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, which can help boost heart health. Beans also do double duty in the food pyramid as both a vegetable and a protein. Not to mention, beans are easy to cook with, widely available and inexpensive. Beans and their legume cousins (such as soybeans, chickpeas and lentils) have been cultivated and consumed for centuries as a part of many world cuisines: Black beans figure prominently in Central American and Caribbean dishes, chickpeas are a staple of Middle Eastern cooking, lentils are common in Indian and Persian recipes, and white beans are a fixture of French and Italian cookbooks. Even though beans offer a slew of health benefits and culinary flexibility, they aren't a prominent staple of American diets—though many vegetarians routinely incorporate beans in their cooking. Perhaps it's a matter of taste or texture: By themselves, cooked beans aren't intensely flavorful (but that makes them a great foundation for other ingredients like tomatoes, peppers and herbs) and their texture can be a bit mushy if overcooked. Then there's the gastrointestinal effect that beans produce in some people. Because beans are high in both complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber, they can cause gas when they're digested in the large intestine. Rinsing canned beans can remove some of the sugars that can cause gas as well. (Beano, sold in most drug and grocery stores, is commonly thought to help avoid such distress. Adding a strip of kombu to dried beans during cooking also helps.) Learn how to make your beans less musical! Beans have such compelling nutritional benefits that they're worth experimenting with in your kitchen. Here’s how. Canned Beans vs. Dried Beans: Which is Better? Canned beans are super easy to use, and you'll find a number of options on your grocer's shelves. But, like many packaged foods, they can pack a lot of salt. When selecting canned beans, choose a low-sodium variety whenever possible. Scan the nutrition labels and opt for the product with the lowest sodium—levels can vary widely. For example, Eden Organic chickpeas have 30 milligrams of sodium per half cup serving; Progresso chickpeas have 280 milligrams for the same portion. Most recipes call for draining and rinsing canned beans and doing so removes up to 40% of the added sodium. Also, rinsing off the starchy liquid the beans were cooked and preserved in helps keep the beans from getting too soggy in your recipe--and remember that it helps reduce the gassy feeling beans can cause. Though canned beans are a quick and easy alternative to dried, it is worth noting that canned foods like beans may contain traces of the plastic chemical BPA, which can permeate canned foods through the plastic lining inside of the can. Very few brands of canned foods are made without BPA, so if exposure to this chemical concerns you, dried beans are the way to go. Dried beans are quite easy to prepare from scratch, but they do take more time. Using dried varieties will also allow you to control how much salt is added and to get the texture you prefer. Some people believe that freshly cooked beans also taste better than canned. To prepare dried beans, start with a bag from your grocer (you can also buy dried beans in bulk), then rinse the beans and pick out any small stones or broken pieces. Next, place the beans in a large bowl, cover them completely with water, and soak for several hours or overnight (they’ll expand, so make sure to use plenty of water). Soaking the beans reduces their cooking time. Drain the beans and place in a large pot, along with a stalk of celery, a carrot and a small onion, all cut into large chunks. Bring to a boil for about five minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans are done to your taste. Cooked beans freeze well; simply portion them out in zip-top bags or freezer containers, spoon in a bit of cooking liquid, or drizzle with a bit of olive oil and freeze for up to six months. Continued › |
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Nutrition Articles › Nutrient BuzzBeans: The Super Food that Keeps You Full4 Ways to Enjoy the Tasty Nutrition of Beans-- By Bryn Mooth, SparkPeople ContributorSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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About The Author
Bryn Mooth
Bryn Mooth is an independent copywriter and journalist focused on food, wellness and design; she's also a Master Gardener and enthusiastic green thumb. She shares seasonal recipes, kitchen techniques, healthy eating tips and food wisdom on her blog writes4food.com. |
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Member Comments
Set 'em on low, stir occasionally, and add water as needed. Yummy over brown rice with a side of fruit. - 6/30/2012 1:13:39 PM
The only way to reduce gas after eating beans is to eat more beans. :)
Oh, and take a look at the healthiest people in the world.. what are they eating? Grains, beans and legumes, vegetables, soy, and very, very little animal flesh.
- 1/21/2011 8:14:30 AM
Fat
Exhausted
Diseased
Legumes are NOT healthy, for many of the same reasons that grains aren't - their lectin content. Lectins are antinutrients (meaning they leech good stuff from our bodies). For more info on WHY they're dangerous read here: - http://www.marksd
ailyapple.com
/lectins/
Yes, they really are that bad (just as grains are). So, Ruth, when you say you eat vegetarian "to save $$s and partly for health" all that money you've saved you'll need for your increased medical insurance premiums - eat vegetarian and become sicker and die younger than if you ate the diet our bodies are supposed to eat (high fat, moderate protein, low carb). Not as fast as vegans, granted, but omnivores live the longest (and suffer FAR fewer health problems).
Eastercat: - whilst quinoa and tofu are complete proteins, it's true - they are poisonous to our bodies (see: - http://www.marksd
ailyapple.com
/lectins/ and http://www.marksd
ailyapple.com
/why-grains-a
re-unhealthy/ and http://www.marksd
ailyapple.com
/soy-scrutiny/) why not do something radical and, oh I dunno, EAT STEAK!!! - 1/9/2011 9:04:21 AM
If you plan to have beans during a certain week, whether it's on a salad, in a dish, whatever.
On a weekend day take your crockpot/slowcook
er out. Throw some beans, chopped onion, garlic, celery, etc along with maybe a slice of bacon for fat and flavor.
Let them cook to the point that you would like. For salads we like really firm beans, for dishes like bean and rice dishes we like a softer texture.
Then when they're done just simply drain, put in a tupperware container and store in the fridge until you need them.
- 1/6/2011 8:30:00 AM
ure is right, it only takes 10 - 35 minutes to cook, depending on the type of bean. Black-eyed peas only take 10, black beans take about 35. The beans can cook while you chop and saute veggies for soup. Don't put split peas in the pressure cooker, though. They are too foamy. - 12/21/2010 9:01:04 AM
One of my favorite meals is Black Beans, Rice, Chicken and Salsa. Top with a little cheese. Yum-yum! - 12/7/2010 7:44:36 PM