December 19, 2002

Prairie Fare: How About Some Beans?

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Our concept of "healthy" and "unhealthy" food has changed a lot over the centuries. Tomatoes, for example, were thought of as poisonous until some brave soul probably plucked one, ate it and didn’t keel over.

Fava beans were thought to be unwholesome in 450 B.C. Others called beans "windy and hard to digest." Today we know that dry edible beans are not only wholesome, they’re downright healthy.

Numerous types of dry beans exist and all are rich in protein, with about 10 percent of the day’s recommended protein in a half-cup serving. They are such an inexpensive form of protein, they have been referred to as the "poor man’s meat."

Beans, however, aren’t a "complete protein" because they lack the amino acid methionine. Beans contain an amino acid, lysine, which is lacking in cereal products, and cereal products contain methionine. Around the world, rice is often combined with beans to make a complete protein.

Beans are considered both a vegetable and a protein in the Food Guide Pyramid. In addition to their protein content, they are low in fat and high in carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. They're a good source of dietary fiber, which can reduce risk for certain types of cancer. Beans are an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that is especially critical for women of childbearing age because it has been shown to reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida by as much as 50 percent.

Adding more cooked dry beans to our diet is a good way to add soluble fiber to the diet, too. Eating soluble fiber is linked with reducing blood cholesterol levels. Beans may also help with control of blood glucose levels among diabetics.

But some people shun beans due to their tendency to "produce wind." People who eat beans regularly, however, have little difficulty with intestinal gas. Our digestive systems can adapt to the two indigestible (and harmless) sugars naturally found in beans if we eat them often enough, but there are other ways to decrease these indigestible sugars. Forget the myth about adding baking soda to the cooking water; the only thing that accomplishes is destroying B vitamins.

Always inspect beans before cooking and remove any broken beans or foreign materials like small stones, then rinse thoroughly in cold water. To reduce the indigestible sugars in beans, bring water and beans (10 cups water to 1 pound of beans) to a boil, then boil for three minutes. Cover the pot and soak for four hours. Drain the soak water, add fresh cold water to cover the beans, and then simmer the beans until tender. You may add salt or oil if desired. One cup (about 1/2 pound) of dry beans yields 3 cups cooked.

During the bustle of the holiday season, there are plenty of goodies to enjoy but sometimes cooking healthy meals falls by the wayside. Here’s a way to use leftover ham in a quick and easy meal. Spice it as hot or mild as you’d like, and serve with cornbread or corn muffins.

Red Beans and Rice

1 Tbsp. salad oil
1 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans
2-4 tsp. chili powder (to taste)
2 c. diced lean ham
1/2 c. rice, uncooked

Heat oil in 3-quart saucepan. Add onions, celery and garlic; cook until onions are clear. Drain beans; reserve liquid. Add enough water to liquid to measure 3 cups. Add liquid and remaining ingredients to saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes until rice has absorbed the liquid.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains about 325 calories, 7.5 grams fat, 41 grams carbohydrate and 5.3 grams fiber.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu