Beans and other legumes (lentils, split peas) are nutritious staple foods for people in countries around the world. Cheaper than meat and high in protein, beans make a perfect addition to any diet, vegetarian or not.
Fresh beans (green beans, yellow wax beans, and bean sprouts) are lower in protein and calories than mature beans. Fresh beans can be eaten raw, but mature beans have to be cooked thoroughly (sometimes for hours) before they can be eaten.
The nutritional content of mature beans varies, depending on the type, but all varieties of beans are:
- High in fibre (around 10 grams – or 40% of the recommended daily intake – per cup)
- High in protein (over 20% by dry weight or 10-15 grams per cup)
- Low in fat (except soybeans)
- Filling
- Inexpensive
- Versatile
- Low of the Glycemic index (GI)
- Just over 200 calories per cooked cup of beans
Which are Better: Dried Beans or Canned?
Cooking dried beans from scratch is the most economical way to eat. A one-pound bag of dried legumes costs only a few dollars, and contains enough beans to make many meals.
Doing the cooking at home has the added bonus of being able to control the amount of salt added to the beans. Canned beans can be high in salt – up to 1000 mg (2/3 daily intake) per cup! But dried beans need to be soaked before cooking, and can take several hours on the stove to soften.
When time is a factor, canned beans (at just over a dollar a can) are still a fine way to go. Just give them a rinse to remove excess salt, and the gas-producing carbohydrates hiding out in the liquid.
- Tip: Cooked beans and canned beans (drained and rinsed) can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Bean Recipe Ideas
Trying to work more beans into your menus? Try these easy ideas:
- Snack on chickpeas that have been roasted in the oven and sprinkled with salt or spices.
- Snack on edamame (young soybeans), lightly boiled and popped from their shells
- Adding an extra can of kidney beans to a chili recipe, instead of using meat or vegetable protein (which is heavily processed)
- Use white (navy) beans to make homemade, low-sugar baked beans from scratch.
- Eat baked beans with eggs and omelettes
- Add chickpeas to soups (try minestrone) or stews
- Add beans to vegetable side dishes
- Top salads with cooked beans
- Make bean salad any time of year
- Instead of using ground beef or TSP (textured vegetable protein) in Mexican dishes, substitute half or all with beans.
- Top nachos with refried or black beans.
- Make bean burritos
- Add black-eyed peas or chickpeas to pasta
- Make homemade chickpea falafel or eat falafel as a snack
- Try spicy Indian dishes like dal (lentils) and channa masala (chickpeas)
- Stir beans into rice, couscous, or other grain side dishes
and Recipes:
 |
 |
 |
