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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Beans are a humble vegetable, often considered a poor man’s meat or a vegetarian staple. For most of us, beans are only an occasional food – a side order of beans and rice, chickpeas scattered on a salad or a bowl of split pea soup on a cold day. Many people are even surprised that beans are actually a vegetable because they seem to straddle more that one food group – vegetable, protein and carbohydrate.
That combination is exactly why beans qualify as a nutrition superstar. They are high in protein, like meat, fish, poultry and eggs, while being packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals like their vegetables cousins. Add to that a rich complement of complex carbohydrates and fiber, while at the same time being low in fat and sodium, and cholesterol-free.
Which are the best beans to eat? There are over 16,000 bean varieties with more than 100 types grown around the world. Like vegetables, all beans are good for you, so eating a wide variety is the smartest thing to do. Beans belong to a family of plants called legumes. Oval or kidney shaped are called beans; round are peas; flat or disk-shaped are lentils. Though they may be different in shape, color, texture and flavor, but they are remarkably similar in nutritional value.
One cup of cooked beans contains approximately 12% of your daily calorie need while providing over 50% of your fiber need, 30% of protein, almost 70% of folic acid (a B vitamin), and over 25% of iron. In addition all beans are excellent sources of disease-fighting phytochemicals.
Beans are good for the heart because their cholesterol-lowering effect is equal to that found in oatmeal, but they also:
Increase longevity. For every ounce of beans you eat each day you reduce your risk of death by 7% to 8%. No other food group affects survival rates across all cultures.
Reduce your risk for cancer.
Help you maintain a more normal weight. Bean eaters are 22% less likely to become obese.
Help to control blood sugar and manage diabetes.
You should know how to count beans. A 15-ounce can of beans equals 1.5 cups of cooked beans. One pound of dried beans, usually purchased in a bag, equals 2 cups of uncooked beans or 6 cups of cooked beans.
Canned beans are a great alternative to dry but they can be high in sodium. If you drain and rinse canned beans before you eat them, you can reduce the sodium content by at least 40%. This is not as low as cooked dried beans, which are virtually sodium free, but the reduction is significant. If you add canned beans to a recipe, don’t add salt and again you will be reducing the overall sodium per serving. Also, look for frozen cooked dry beans. They are becoming more and more available and are as low in sodium as the dry variety.
Here is a list of some of the commonly available beans – buy a few next time you shop. .
Red beans are also called Mexican beans. They have more antioxidants than blueberries and are the top source of iron.
Kidney beans can be large or small, dark red or pink. They rank at the top of the antioxidant list and are the best source of fiber.
Blackeyed peas also called cowpeas or field peas they are an excellent source of folic acid with 1 cup providing 90% of your day’s supply.
Black beans are also called turtle beans. They are another antioxidant super star and an excellent source of minerals.
White beans are also called navy or great northern beans. They are an excellent source of minerals and fiber.
Lima beans can be baby or regular size and are also called butterbeans. They are the top source of potassium among beans, as well as being an excellent source of phytochemicals.
Pinto beans are also called calico beans. They are an excellent source of minerals and contain as much antioxidant power as blueberries.
Cranberry beans are also called roman beans. They provide almost a day’s supply of folic acid and close to 10% of your calcium in 1 cup.
Soybeans are the protein powerhouse providing 60% of your daily need in one cup. (We’ll discuss more about soybeans in the coming weeks.)
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 7 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to The Nutrition Experts
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