As I was putting water into the crock pot today to prep these black eyed peas for dinner, I found a HEART! It made me think about the importance of beans in our diets—-and how they are linked to healthy heart beats. We should eat them much more than we do!?!
This week I’ve had black beans in Black Bean Soup, kidney beans in the Avocado Bean Dip, and—tonight: black eyed peas in the crock pot with a simple dousing of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of sugar! These beans pack in the protein that our bodies need.
The American Heart Association reports that:
Protein comes from plant sources as well as animal ones. In fact, every plant we eat has at least a little bit of protein in it, and some have a lot—like beans! Beans also have some health benefits that meats don’t. Beans have no cholesterol and very little fat, and they’re high in minerals and fiber.
Eating beans may reduce blood cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease. Because they digest slowly, adding beans to your diet helps keep you feeling full if you’re working on shedding excess pounds.
Drain canned beans in a colander and rinse with water to remove as much salt as you can; preferably buy canned beans with no salt added. Or, you can buy your own salt-free beans in dry varieties at your local grocery store and/or organic beans from speciality health food stores!
Keep your healthy heart beating: Eat beans!
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