As it is they are at most $1-5 per pound and are found everywhere in the world..even stored in the Arctics.
They are Beans, Legumes, Pulses, seeds from pods......
The humble bean is the most sustainable way of producing digestible protein without harmful fat; tons of complex B vitamins, and minerals inc. iron, manganese & zinc, that the body especially brain & nervous system need; soluble fiber for successful body evacuation; they also target and remove toxins from the body naturally.
They are a potent medicine in lowering cholesterol, 1/2 cup cooked beans reduces cholesterol by 10%, regulate blood sugar levels so they are great for any diabetic diet.
They are found and used on every continent.
They helped feed the migration of the masses across America and in Europe during the Rome invasion.
During the mid 19th century The American Cavalry and most cowboys lived on a diet made of beans and some meat and vegetables
But not used or taken advantage of enough...they are great to eat and properly prepared can be easy to digest.
They have the the one food group that mankind has relied on in every world farming crisis and wars...for good reason!
Ideally they should be eaten at least 2 times a week, and eaten in larger portions than the animal protein in any meal.
Although they are dried, they do not keep well forever, and depending on the age of your beans, they may need to be soaked & cooked a little longer than any recipe says. ( Black eyed peas and in some recipes, lentils do not need to be pre-soaked..whole orange lentils DO need soaking).
The best bet is to sort out the beans..look for broken beans and small pebbles which should be removed..then wash well in running cold water, and soak for 12 hours ( overnight)..next day rinse well, and place in a pot of cold water, bring to boil and strain off..then proceed to any recipe..this will cut out the uncomfortable GAS element almost 75%.!
Do not salt or season the beans during this process or it will toughen the skins.
it is more economical and nutritionally wise to soak & cook your own beans, rather than buying canned as then one controls the whole process and knows what is in them.
1 cup of dried beans = 2 cups cooked beans
Some ideas to change up your BEAN intake:
Beans can be used whole in soups, stews; mashed into pancakes, "burgers", "meat loaves"; processed into dips, sauces, spreads, drinks, dressings.
I make some really great Chickpea pancakes just using roasted chickpea flour imported from India,( Ideally it has to be the roasted chickpea flour for the depth of flavor..and once mixed has to be left for 4 hours before use to allow to "bloom") with spices, seeds and just plain fresh cold water..they are wonderful.
Garlic, cooked chickpeas, sea salt, tahini, olive oil,( cumin -optional) lemon juice = hommus, tahini sauce, tahini dressing, falafal.
Cooked lentils ( French-blue green, beige, green), walnuts, mushrooms, garlic, onions,carrots, parsley, breadcrumbs, sherry = Pate, spread, stuffing for vegetables, "burgers","meatloaf"
Cooked broad beans, fava beans, butter beans, lemon juice, olive oil, olives, fresh herbs, onions, garlic, = salad, appetizers, topping for sandwiches, pasta
Red & Black beans..these cannot be sprouted/eaten raw as they contain toxins that are poisonous to humans, and must be soaked and cooked well, onions, carrots, root veggies, sherry/red wine/nutritional yeast, celery, = sauces, soups, stews, chili's, tortilla fillings, wrap fillings, pasta sauces.
Green peas( whole or split), onions, garlic, celery, carrots, fresh peas, avocado, mint = a soothing cool weather soup that can be finished with cream or yogurt,and economical too as 1 avocado feeds 4-6, can also made more concentrated into patties.
Traditionally ( French Classic) bay laurel leaves are cooked with any beans, in South America a wild herb called epizote ( episote) is used and is thought to prevent gas..this can be purchased dry, but is very twig like and should be put in a sachet ( cheese cloth and tied with long piece of string) so it can be removed at end of cooking.
Also for all you trying to lose or maintain your weight and you are avoiding carbohydrates, do not ignore beans they are packed with complex carbs that your body needs, and you will LOSE weight by eating more beans, and experience far less mood swings.
Because of all the recent conflicting negative health reports I prefer NOT to use soy beans, there are better beans to choose, that are not as expensive nor controversial.
Enjoy having a GOOD LIFE
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| Sprouted over 5 days beans..sprouting increases nutritional benefit 100% |
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| split peas, orange lentils and split green peas |
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| dried whole green peas |
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| beige lentils |
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| black eyed peas, do not need soaking |
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| Cranberry beans..named for color of the skins, when cooked they turn pink |
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| Fava beans |
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| Adzuki beans..good for weightloss |
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| Split fava beas good for thickening soups and stews |
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| Black eyed pea stew |
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| Chickpea pancake mix with added paprkia |
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| the cooked chickpea pancake..gluten, egg and dairy free |
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| mixed beans soaking before sprouting |
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| soaked and rinsed yellow split peas |
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| Dosas..fermented lentils and brown rice panckes |
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| cooked Lima beans also known as Butter Beans |
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| cooked chickpeas |
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| these 2 various dips using cooked beans..top one is Lima Bean & fresh mint, lower is traditional hommus with chickpeas and lemon juice, tahini |
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