They’re a great source of nutrition, inexpensive, and are incredibly versatile – we’re talking about beans here. You can use them with rice or quinoa, in soups, salads, and chili recipes, or as a star component in different types of salsa. Beans contain about 6 to 8 grams of fiber per half cup, depending on the type, which helps you feel full more quickly. They’re also a good source of protein and (perhaps surprisingly) contain many antioxidants.
Dried bags of beans are the most inexpensive option, as you pay about twice the amount on average for the canned versions. Dried beans also cut out the additional sodium found in canned beans. If you can’t find the time to soak the dried beans and prefer canned, that’s fine – just give them a good rinse to remove some of the additional sodium.
Stumped on how to use beans in your meals? Check out these ideas:
Try this Mango Bean Salsa recipe which was shared with us by one of our 2012 Challenge participants – she recently participated in a challenge to eat at least 1 ½ cups of beans in a week! It’s a fun new salsa recipe that can be used with fish or chicken, or can be served with tortilla chips.
Ingredients
4 mangos - peeled, seeded, and diced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 ounce) can white shoepeg corn, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine everything in a bowl and stir. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Another challenge participant shared that she had them in a mock “fried rice” – a stir fry with brown rice, asparagus, black beans, onion, and egg beater. I love this idea because you could probably throw in any leftover veggies you have around the house that you need to use up!
Lastly, our black bean and pineapple quesadilla recipe would also be a great new idea to try if you haven’t gotten around to it yet!
Dried bags of beans are the most inexpensive option, as you pay about twice the amount on average for the canned versions. Dried beans also cut out the additional sodium found in canned beans. If you can’t find the time to soak the dried beans and prefer canned, that’s fine – just give them a good rinse to remove some of the additional sodium.
Stumped on how to use beans in your meals? Check out these ideas:
Try this Mango Bean Salsa recipe which was shared with us by one of our 2012 Challenge participants – she recently participated in a challenge to eat at least 1 ½ cups of beans in a week! It’s a fun new salsa recipe that can be used with fish or chicken, or can be served with tortilla chips.
Ingredients
4 mangos - peeled, seeded, and diced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 ounce) can white shoepeg corn, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine everything in a bowl and stir. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Another challenge participant shared that she had them in a mock “fried rice” – a stir fry with brown rice, asparagus, black beans, onion, and egg beater. I love this idea because you could probably throw in any leftover veggies you have around the house that you need to use up!
Lastly, our black bean and pineapple quesadilla recipe would also be a great new idea to try if you haven’t gotten around to it yet!
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