The Healthy Option: Beans

Is your pantry packed in beans? Have you added dried beans to your shopping list this month? If not, you might want to make room. Read all these great tidbits about beans. They are in the spotlight at my house this year!

Beans have a large extended family. They’re actually legumes. All legumes grow in pods. There are MANY of them…Lentils, soybeans, navy beans, cranberry beans, etc.
Beans may be the most nutritious food going. There’s vitamins and minerals to account for—–and fiber…protein! Perfect for vegans! Make sure you read more about how nutritious beans are!
Beans are best-in-nutrient-class.
Peanuts are more bean than nut. Crack them open from a shell but you will see they’re lined up inside!
They’re cheap, cheap, cheap. Most groceries cost us an arm and a leg but beans. They are affordable. If you need to balance the menu planning budget, include pots of beans to your list.
If can boil water, you can cook dried beans. There are many, many recipes online for cooking dried beans but all you need is water—and if you are short on time, use the crockpot!
Lentils cook in half the time. Start with this little, tiny bean if you are short on time.
Soaking is simple. Water plus overnight—and soaking is done!
The cooking liquid is an ingredient too. The water you cooked your bean in is the next best thing to chicken stock for adding body to soups and stew. Don’t toss it, freeze it if it isn’t part of the bean dish you are eating!
Dried beans are practically indestructible. No matter how long beans have been in the pantry, you can still cook them! Just add time to your cooking schedule.

I (Litsa) personally like this list of bean facts for healthy living! It helps my waistline and my family’s budget. All the more reason to get a variety of beans added to our family’s menu plan. If everyone isn’t a fan of beans but you love them, try cooking smaller portions of beans——-stretch the dry bean bag out between four days instead of one or two. But don’t forget, beans last in the refrigerator after they’ve been cooked too. Add them to salads or warm up a batch to eat with half a slice of grilled cheese. They’ll pack on the protein and keep you filling fuller longer!

Credit to this list of BEAN facts: Cooking Light (September 2010)

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Litsa @How to Have it All

Litsa is a stay at home mom to a beautiful little girl. She is a native of Greece and now resides in Tennessee. As a former teacher, Litsa wears many hats that it takes to make a home a functioning home!