by 4 people |
Beans are among the oldest cultivated foods. They have been eaten for over 8000 years. They are really good for you, and super tasty!
Health benefits
Of course you eat them because they taste great, but did you know they were so good for you?
- Beans contain lots of fiber (both the insoluble and the cholesterol lowering soluble kind) and are a rich source of iron,magnesium and B-vitamins.
- Beans have a low Glycemic Index (GI), so they do not elevate your blood sugar much.
- Beans contain are about 25% good quality protein.
Recipe Collections
Hundreds of delicious recipes
If you think you do not like beans, try something completely new. An Indian dahl, a Mexican tortilla, a Moroccan soup: the possibilities are endless; there must be something you like.
- Bean recipes on Recipezaar
- How can a recipe called Yummy Lentil Yumminess not be good? Find this and more than 5000 (1000 of which are vegan) other recipes with beans at Recipezaar. There is nutritional information for every recipe.
- Beans & Legumes at VegWeb
- Many vegetarian bean recipes, organized per bean type (Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, etc.). Most recipes have user ratings and comments.
- Bean recipes at Foodieview
- The Foodieview recipe search engine finds over 15000 bean recipes, among which Lentil Hummus. Refine the results by searching for example for only vegan or gluten free recipes.
Anti flatulence tips
How come something so good for you makes you smell so bad?
If your body is not used to the complex sugars found in beans, you may suffer from excess gas after eating them. This usually resolves itself when your body gets used to eating beans, but in the meantime, here are some tips to minimize flatulence:
- Chew well: Chewing is important for good digestion.
- Eat slowly: Swallowing air often causes flatulence.
- Start with small amounts: Most people find that they can tolerate more beans when they are used to it.
- Start with lentils, mung beans and adzuki beans: Smaller beans are easier to digest. Red or Pink lentils are easiest, but contain fewer nutrients than other lentils.
- Soak well and discard soaking water: The indigestible sugars dissolve in the soaking water, so use plenty of water and change the soaking water once or twice. The Californian Dry Bean Advisory Board recommends boiling the dry beans for a couple of minutes, then turning off the heat and soaking overnight. Discard the soaking water, and cook the beans in fresh water.
- Cook for a longer time: In many countries where beans are a staple food, they are left to simmer on low heat all day. A crockpot may be useful.
- Sprout: The sprouting process completely changes the sugars, making the legumes much better digestible. Lightly cooked sprouts are easier to digest than raw sprouts.
- Add a piece of kombu in the cooking water.
- Do not add salt during cooking. If you want salt, add it afterwards.
- Cook with ginger, fennel, cumin or epazote (a Mexican herb).
- Scoop off and discard foam when cooking.
- Add a little vinegar to the cooking water when the legumes are almost done.
- If you are in the US you can try Beano or Bean-zyme, a pill that helps prevent gas. Bean-zyme is a vegan/vegetarian alternative to Beano.
Bean books on Amazon
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