How healthy are canned beans?

Beans are a type of legume that grows every year. They are many and different. There are different colors of pole beans, white beans, and broad beans for sale. Depending on the type, they can be round, round-flat, or flat, and they can be yellow, green, grey, brown, reddish, or black.

There are also a lot of different things you can make with these beans, like stews with other vegetables or cereals, soups, sandwiches, and salads. Some master chefs also make cakes and biscuits with blended beans instead of butter or margarine. Beans were once so important that ancient Egyptians put bean seeds in the tombs of pharaohs. The first thing we could do today is put beans back on our plates.

What's good in beans? Protein, folic acid, fiber, antioxidants

Beans are a relatively cheap food that has a lot of health benefits. It is a real way for people to save money on food when they have to because of a crisis. Beans can be used instead of meat, cereal, and other vegetables. Like other legumes, the protein in beans is the most interesting part. But it's important to know that dried beans have more protein than fresh ones.

This is because we can get a higher concentration of protein per weight of the product by taking out the water. Beans aren't meant to be eaten right away. The reason is that they have lectins and phytic acid, which are two things that the body tends to have a complicated relationship. Contrary to myths, these substances are not harmful, but they can make it harder for the body to absorb other nutrients when there are only small amounts.

Folic acid is found in great amounts in beans. This substance is very important for making red blood cells, and it is also very important for pregnant women because it helps make the nervous system of the fetus. To get as much folic acid as possible from beans, it's important to cook them the right way. They shouldn't be boiled for more than 150 minutes after being soaked. This will stop too much folic acid from leaving the product.

Bean dishes can help solve a problem that has been around for a long time: we don't eat enough fiber. How much do we need to eat? About a half cup of cooked beans. Your body will get 7 grams of fiber from that. To keep your digestive system working well, lower your blood cholesterol, and prevent type II diabetes, you need to eat between 25 and 35 grams of fiber every day.

Antioxidants are especially interesting because they protect body cells from the bad effects of the environment. The color of the plant turns out to be important. The more of these helpful things a bean has, the more colors it has. So, beans that are black, red, or purple will have more antioxidants than ones that are white or pale.

Beans against diseases

Several illnesses make it especially important to eat beans. Several studies show that bean meals lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood. If you eat 1/3 cup of beans every day, you're 38% less likely to have a heart attack. Beans can help people with diabetes take care of their condition, and they can also help keep people who are at risk of diabetes from getting sick.

Beans contain fiber and complex carbohydrates. This means that they help slow the release of sugars into the blood and make you feel full for a long time. The fiber in beans may also help prevent metabolic syndrome, which is a group of risk factors for heart disease and type II diabetes.

Research on the benefits of legumes pays special attention to diseases like cancer. There are a lot of antioxidants in beans. Some of these are flavonoids, tannins, and phenols, which lower the risk of getting cancer. This product can protect against cancers of the bowel, breast, kidneys, and prostate if you eat it. This must be clear because many things can cause cancer.

Genes, how you live, where you live, and what you eat all play a part. You shouldn't assume that what you eat can keep you from getting sick or help you get better if you already have it. Legumes can only make one of the risks less likely.

Researchers say that people who want to lose weight should eat more beans. Brazil, a country where beans are an essential part of the food, did some interesting research on this topic. People who eat beans regularly tend to be lighter, have a smaller waist, and have better blood pressure.

Beans are a healthy food that is low in calories and has no fat. We don't get more energy when we eat them, but we feel full for a long time, which keeps us from wanting to overeat or snack.

How to soak and cook beans

To cook beans right, they need to be washed, soaked, boiled, and then cleaned. There is no best way to soak beans that works for everyone. Most people put them in a bowl, cover them with cold water, and let them sit overnight. The next day, they are rinsed again. This method takes a long time to plan and set up.

So-called hot soaking is another choice. Put the beans in a deep pot, add 5 parts water to 1 part beans, and heat until the water boils. Then take it off the heat and let it sit for 2 to 4 hours. This cuts down on the time needed to cook the beans later and makes them very tender and tasty.

If you are in a hurry, you can do a quick soak: add 3 parts water, heat until it boils, and let it sit for an hour. It is fast, but there are problems with it. Unlike the first two methods, this one doesn't get rid of the things in the meal that cause gas. It's not good for people who can't eat beans because they give them gas.

How long do you cook beans? Depending on the type, you should cook them for an hour or two over medium heat, stirring them every so often. The beans should be soft when they are done, but not so soft that they turn into mush.

When cooking beans, it's important to remember that they should be completely covered in water, which should then be drained. During cooking, you can also add a few drops of vegetable oil. The rest is up to the cook's imagination and creativity.

Cans, vacuum, and bean crisps

Cooking beans takes time, so many people buy their meals already made in cans or vacuum packs instead. Will these pulses be as healthy for you? Yes. Protein and fiber don't change much when you can food. Folic acid, on the other hand, will be lost in a small amount.

One important thing to remember is how much salt is in the finished bean meal. The US Dietary Guidelines say that if you are worried about salt, you should rinse the beans from the can or vacuum pack them with drinking water. This will get rid of too much salt from the item.

At your grocery store, you can find more than just vacuum-packed beans and beans that have already been cooked. Crispy roasted porcini beans are an interesting product grown at home. It is a healthier alternative to chips and will make you feel full instead of giving you "empty" energy. The snack is healthy, but you should watch out for how much salt it has.

Some reasons to eat legumes

There are three main ways to show how healthy legumes are: protein, minerals, and fiber. But that's not all. They are the only vegetarian meal with enough protein to be a good meat substitute. With a few extras, they can be thought of as a good substitute for meat.