Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Health and Nutrition Information- Beans

DID YOU KNOW?


- Beans are best known for their protein; when eaten with small amounts of meat, dairy or grains they supply all of the essential amino acids.

- Recent studies have shown that beans are not only cholesterol free, but because of their soluble fiber content they have the ability to lower one’s cholesterol level. In fact one-half cup of beans per day can decrease cholesterol levels by 5-20%!

- Beans can be classified as energy food; they digest slowly, satisfy hunger longer and the calorie content is low.

- Beans are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals including: folic acid, thiamin, calcium, phosphorus and much more.

- For a healthy and regular digestive track beans are an excellent source of fiber.



KIDNEY BEANS:

Bright maroon in color, versatile, good in size and firm in texture. Works well in soups, on salads or mashed.

GARBANZO: 

Golden bean, works well in salads and mixed into many other dishes.

BLACKEYE PEAS: 


Small cream colored bean with a "black eye" and a distinctive flavor. Often used in soul food cooking.

LIMA BEANS:


Flat oval bean with a savory flavor. Works well with pork dishes as well as with salt and butter.


STEPS FOR BEAN COOKERY:

1. BUY GOOD QUALITY BEANS: Look for firm, clean, whole beans of uniform size and color.

2. WASH AND SORT: Remove damaged beans and any foreign material. Rinse with cold water.

3. SOAK: For each pound of dry beans (about 2 cups) that have been sorted and washed, add 10 cups hot water in a pot that allows for expansion. Boil for 2-3 minutes, cover and soak for 4-12 hours. Drain off water and rinse again.

4. COOK: Add soaked, drained and rinsed beans in a pot with 6 cups of hot water. Boil gently until desired tenderness is reached, usually 1-2 hours.

1 comment:

  1. Yep beans are the best source of the protein. They are good for the growing up children and others too. Your health blog is such a very useful place to know the health information.

    ReplyDelete