"I like to call beans a 'super food' because they provide a hefty nutrient package," says Sari Greaves, RD, a dietitian at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell's Cardiac Health Center. "Beans such as kidney, pinto, navy, and black, are an excellent source of plant protein and fiber (the cholesterol-lowering kind) and provide important nutrients such as calcium, iron, folic acid, and potassium."
Why you need them
The health benefits of beans are consistent with many existing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved health claims related to disease prevention. Studies suggest that eating beans as part of a healthy diet may help manage diabetes and help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
"Americans are encouraged to eat three cups of beans per week," Greaves says. This recommendation represents a three-fold increase over the current average consumption of one cup per week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) recommended eating plan for Americans lists beans in two food groups: the Vegetable Group, because they're a plant-based food that provides vitamins and minerals, and the Meat and Beans Group, because they're a good source of protein.
An adequate daily amount of fiber is defined as 20 to 35 grams for adults. However, Greaves points out that the average intake for Americans is only 14 to 15 grams per day. Beans have more fiber per serving than any other vegetable. One serving of beans provides 20 percent or more of your daily fiber needs. Fiber has many benefits, such as helping you feel full after a meal, helping maintain blood sugar levels, and helping maintain regularity.
Bean varieties
Beans are a versatile ingredient that can be used in virtually any type of cooking, whether it be a salad, soup, burrito, dip, or stir fry.
Some of the most popular bean varieties include lima (flat-shaped, white-colored), black (medium-sized, black-skinned ovals), blackeye or black-eyed pea (white, medium-sized, oval-shaped, with a black dot), red kidney (large, deep reddish-brown and kidney-shaped), garbanzo or chickpea (round, medium-sized, beige color), navy (small white ovals), and pinto (medium-sized, mottled beige and brown ovals).
"I encourage people to eat less meat in favor of more plant-based foods," says Greaves. "If you place low-fat vegetarian foods at the center of your plate, it's an easy way of controlling meal calories without counting."
BEAN AND CRISPY NOODLE SALAD
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup low-fat honey mustard salad dressing
4 cups chopped romaine (about 1 head) or 4 cups
fresh spinach leaves
1 cup chow mein noodles
2/3 cup canned mandarin oranges,
drained
1 green onion, chopped
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Toss all ingredients together in a large
mixing bowl. Serve immediately. Makes 4
servings.
Nutrition Information per Serving: 223 calories, 7 g fat,
1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 222 mg sodium,
35 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber, 12 g sugar, 7 g protein,
368 mcg vitamin A, 25 mg vitamin C, 100 mg calcium,
2 mg iron, 93 mcg folate, 375 mg potassium
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CANNED BEANS
* They are very convenient because they are already presoaked and precooked.
* If you are trying to limit your sodium intake, just drain and rinse canned beans before using them. This will reduce the sodium content by 40 percent.
* You also can opt for canned beans with "no salt added" (on the food label, look for a sodium content of 140 mg or less per serving).
* It is not necessary to re-cook canned beans; just heat them if a recipe calls for it.
* Canned beans, like dry-packaged beans, absorb flavors from other ingredients in a dish because their skins are completely permeable. They may be stored for up to 12 months in their original sealed cans.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment