(0 comments)

Bringing Home the Beans

Fiber, flavor, and more! Check out the benefits beans offer, and find easy ways to prepare and enjoy them.

You can dress them up in Italian pasta dishes or go casual with spicy chili. But despite their versatility, Americans aren't eating as many beans as guidelines say we should. According to the MyPyramid Food Guidance System (www.mypyramid.gov), we should be aiming for at least 3 cups per week. That's a sixfold increase from the weekly half cup most of us actually consume.

Beans are "a great food," says Fran Arbogast-Carlson, RD, spokesperson for the American Dry Bean Board. They're high in complex carbohydrates, protein, and soluble and insoluble fiber. Plus, they're a good source of many nutrients, including iron, zinc, potassium, and folate. They're also cholesterol free and low in fat and sodium. Just 1/2 cup of beans per day counts toward a single serving of vegetables on MyPyramid. And with Americans advised to eat three to five servings of vegetables per day, every little bit helps to meet that goal.

Beans come in an assortment of colors, sizes, and shapes. At least 12 varieties are grown in the United States, including the popular pinto, kidney, black, navy, lima, and Great Northern beans. Emerging science suggests that beans with red and black skins contain antioxidants, but overall, there aren't many nutritional differences among the various types of beans, says Arbogast-Carlson.

Eating any type of beans is smart. In a recent observational study, researchers found that people in Costa Rica, who ate 1/3 cup of beans every day, had a 38 percent lower risk of heart attack than those who ate beans less than once a month. The main differences among bean types are texture, flavor, and appearance. White beans tend to have a smoother and creamier texture, while darker beans are firmer and meatier. Garbanzo beans and cranberry beans stand out for their nutty flavors. If you haven't tried many types of beans, make a point of shopping for new (to you) varieties when you make your regular trek to the supermarket. Keep your cupboards stocked with canned beans for quick cooking and dry beans-which are less expensive but take longer to prepare-for leisurely evenings and weekends.

To add more beans to your diet, try these quick fixes:

Buy hummus or put together a quick hummus recipe of your own, using pureed garbanzo, white, red, or black beans, minced garlic, tahini, and lemon juice. Check the Internet or a vegetarian cookbook for a recipe that appeals to you.

Serve black beans next to white beans, such as cannellini, for a visually interesting side dish. Dress up the flavor of the beans with herbs and spices or serve them plain over rice.

Add white beans and cumin to chicken noodle soup for a Southwest flavor.

Puree white beans and add some of the mixture to tomato soup.

Combine black beans, corn with red bell pepper, and Mexican-flavored diced tomatoes, and serve over rice or wrap them up in a tortilla.

Combine cooked fusilli pasta with diced tomatoes, garlic, and cannellini beans (drain if you're watching your salt intake).