How to Eat Beans for Better Health

It's common knowledge that beans are a great source of fiber. They also protect against cancer and provide vegetarians a good source of protein when coupled with starches like rice, potatoes and bread. Beans are more versatile than you might think. You can't beat their variety and they're used in many different types of dishes. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Instructions

1

Rinse uncooked beans and leave them to soak overnight. It's worth the extra planning to do this because that makes them easier to digest. Adding salty or acidic ingredients to the beans will make it difficult for them to soften, so save those for the end of the cooking process.

2

Make a healthy dip or spread with beans. Salsa with black beans, corn, onions and tomatoes is good for a Mexican-themed party. Mediterranean-themed parties can have garbanzo bean and lentil spreads with olive oil, garlic, cumin and paprika on pita bread.

3

Warm up your family in winter with bean soups. Lentil and split pea with whole grain bread make good meals. Minestrone with cannellini beans adds fiber to an Italian meal. Even a plain vegetable soup will benefit from adding navy beans.

4

Eat a healthy lunch with a bean salad. Bell pepper, corn, green onion and pinto beans in a vinaigrette dressing makes a colorful, nutritious salad. Carrots, celery and garbanzo beans go well with Mediterranean spices like cumin and paprika, olive oil, red wine vinegar and garlic dressing.

5

Include beans in your side dishes for healthy fiber and nutrients. They add bulk to casseroles and vegetable dishes. Cook kale with navy beans and a dressing of brown mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

6

Substitute beans for meat in main dishes a couple of times a week for a healthier diet. Mexican dishes like burritos, enchiladas and tacos are an obvious choice. Try black-eyed peas with sauted onions and cumin over brown rice for a savory main course.

7

Experiment with ethnic bean dishes for a varied but healthy diet. Besides Mexican dishes, African cooking creatively uses lentils, black-eyed peas and garbanzo beans. Eat red and black beans in South American dishes.