Beans are a very heart healthy food, so it simply makes sense for you to add them to your diet. There are some general ways to add beans, lentils, and legumes to your diet, like in soups, then there are some more creative ways to use them.
Beans contain a lot of great minerals, and they are an excellent way to get some protein in your diet while cutting back on meat. They are also the ideal way for vegans and vegetarians to ensure they get enough protein in their diets.
Black Beans
Black beans are rich in fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin B6. They are cholesterol free, and they even help increase the good cholesterol in your system. Black beans are a great addition to any kind of Mexican meal.
Add them to tacos, put them in tortilla soup, or even have them as a side dish. You can even find some great recipes online for making brownies with black beans as the base ingredient.
Garbanzo Beans
Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are the main ingredient in hummus. Hummus is a hearty healthy food often used as a bread or vegetable dip. They are a heart healthy food, and are a legume.
Chickpeas are high in fiber, and they contain folate, manganese, and zinc. Hummus isn’t their only use. Try them as a salad topper or add them to soups.
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans aren’t just for chili. You can do many things with them, from creating a bean burger to adding them into your macaroni and cheese. Kidney beans are a great iron rich food.
Instead of buying baked beans in the can, create your own baked beans from scratch with kidney beans.
Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas aren’t just a band, and are also known as black-eyed beams. They are a vitamin rich bean option, not only containing vitamins A and B, but also potassium and fiber.
Swap out your normal pinto beans in your bean soup with these alternate beans. They are also great for baked beans.
Lentils
Lentils are also rich in iron, like many beans and legumes, as well as protein. You can usually find them in red, green, and black. They make great additives to bean soups.
If you have a grain mill you can grind up your lentils into flower to use them in baking all sorts of delicious desserts. You’d be amazed at how many beans and legumes are now being used to make brownies, cupcakes, and more.
Adding more beans to your diet can change some things for you, from getting more minerals to simply giving you more variety in your diet. Try adding some of these to a few meals a week, and cut out some of the less healthy choices you’ve been making, like fried foods and processed meats.
Originally posted on January 28, 2016 @ 8:20 pm
