The Benefits of Eating Beans and Other Legumes
Sep 10th, 2008 | By Susanne M. | Category: HomeHave you cooked with dry beans or lentils recently? If not, now is a great time to get started. They are quite tasty, cheap and a good source of protein. I also love the convenience factor. I can have an assortment of beans and other legumes sitting in my pantry just waiting to be cooked. Some of the smaller beans and lentils also don’t need to cook for hours, making them perfect for a quick side dish with dinner. Let’s take a look at four different reasons why you should consider cooking with beans and lentils.
Beans Are Inexpensive
Here’s my favorite reason to cook with beans… it is really inexpensive to do. I can buy enough beans to cook three meals for my family for under two dollars. I like to buy beans at my local costco or a mexican supermarket by the way. They are usually quite a bit cheaper and I get a larger variety than what my regular grocery store has to offer.
You really don’t need to fix meat for every dinner. Try replacing one or two meals that you would traditionally serve meat with hearty bean dishes instead. Some ideas are to add cooked beans to pasta sauces instead of ground beef and to make a big pot of chili or bean soup. Of course it’s OK to add a little meat for flavoring. I like to add some leftover ham to my bean soups and stews for example. Using less meat each week will save you quite a bit at the grocery store.
Beans Are Healthy
One of the big health benefits from eating beans is the fact that the soluble fiber in them helps the body remove a certain kind of cholesterol - the one that’s bad for your heart from your body. I guess that’s where the old saying “Beans Beans Good For Your Heart” comes from.
You will also be pleased to hear that beans will help you prevent and fight cancer. For those of us with diabetes it is important to know that beans can help our body use insulin more effectively by creating more receptor sites. What a great reason to eat more beans.
Reason 3 - It’s Yummy
You can make all kinds of different dishes with beans since they lend themselves to different flavors. You can make spicy chili dishes or mild beans and rice. Then there’s beans soups that taste almost sweet, smoky black beans with cumin and exotic dahl dishes made with middle eastern spices. Add some lentils or beans to your pasta sauce sometime for a yummy dish that’s also good for your waist line.
My favorite thing to do with leftover beans, lentils or chick peas is to turn them into a dip. Since they are already cooked, I just add them along with a little bit of liquid and some seasonings to my food processor and process until I have a creamy smooth dip. Serve alongside some veggies, bread or chips. Even my kids love these dips and I feel much better giving this to my family than some other fat-laden dip.
Perfect When You Need A Simple Or Fast Meal
Let me explain why I think beans are quick and easy. Yes, you do have to cook some of them for quite some time (don’t bother with the pre-soaking by the way. They will cook just fine without), but the good thing is that you don’t have to hang around. Just let them simmer at the back of your stove. You can also cook them in your slow cooker. I like to start mine in the morning on low. By dinner time they are nice and tender and ready to eat.
The other thing I love about beans is how easy they are to store. I put mine in freezer bags or tupperware type containers. You can keep them in your refrigerator for a few days or freeze them up to a month. Just thaw them on the counter, or put them in your microwave to thaw and heat them.
I encourage you to give beans another try if you haven’t been a big fan so far. Just try a few different bean recipes. Even if you don’t like the first one, there is just the right one out there for you and your family.