Each month, Plant Based Health will have an article on beans and their wonderful health benefits as well as providing you with some delicious recipes to prepare for your family. You may be saying to yourself, there is no way my family is going to eat beans and they are just too gassy!  My own family was very skeptical until they discovered not only how amazing beans could taste but how amazing they are for our overall health. As an added bonus, they are a great tool for keeping the extra pounds off. Keep an open mind and take this journey with us into the world of beans. You will learn about the many varieties available and which foods they complement, as well as, their many health benefits.

Every pantry should be stocked with a variety of beans. They come in every color, shape and size, while providing different textures and tastes. We’ll teach you how to add them to your current recipes by working them into salads, main dishes, and even desserts. Yes I said desserts! As an added bonus they can help cut food bills because they are so inexpensive to prepare.

How beans translate into weight loss

As we begin the New Year, weight loss is a common concern.  How many times have you made that your personal New Year’s Resolution?  As an American, I am very concerned about this topic given our alarming obesity rates, which continue to rise.  One of the best benefits of beans is that eating them helps us consume fewer calories.  Fewer calories translate to a lower number when we step on our scales.  How is this possible you might ask?  Beans are high in dietary fiber. Numerous books have been written about the benefits of fiber in our diet but for this article we are going to focus on its weight loss benefits.

A 2010 American Journal Article of Clinical Nutrition study (tracking 89,000 subjects over 6 years) discovered that those that consumed the most fiber were more likely to have trimmer waist lines.  Americans seem to be skimpy when it comes to fiber, consuming an average of 12 grams daily. Current USDA recommendations are 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.  According to PCRM and the Cancer Project that number should be closer to 40 grams for both sexes.

Beans are loaded with fiber, averaging 7 grams per ½ cup serving. Add just one cup of beans to your daily menu and you have added a whopping 14 grams of dietary fiber. That’s more than the average American consumes in an entire day.  Here’s the good news, according to Dr. Neal Barnard, for every 14 grams of dietary fiber we consume, we cut our calorie intake by 10%. Why you ask?  Simply stated, fiber fills you up. The more fiber you consume, the less room you have for additional calories.  If you are like most Americans (only consuming 12 grams of fiber daily), by slowly working up to the recommended 40 grams a day, you could cut total daily caloric intake by as much as 20%.  That may translate into significant weight loss.  You will not only be shedding pounds but will be giving your body additional health benefits which we will be talking about in future articles. So as the old saying goes “Eat beans with every meal”. Next month’s article will focus on how to degas your beans as well as how to pack in protein.  A very happy and healthy New Year to you and your loves ones ~ Debbie

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Adzuki Beans

Adzuki beans are native to Asia, and are small russet colored beans with a white ridge along one edge. Adzuki beans are very popular in Japanese and Chinese cooking so they can be easily incorporated into too many of these dishes.  Their sweet nutty flavor also makes them great for desserts but they also compliment savory dishes as well. I also add them to many of my favorite soup recipes.

How To Cook

Sweet Adzuki Dip

When trying to satisfy that sweet tooth here is a great alternative to high-fat desserts!

Cook one cup of adzuki beans in 2 cups of water until soft and water has been absorbed, approximately 45 minutes. Yields approximately 3 cups of beans. Stir in  1/2 cup of an alternative sweetener such as agave nectar or maple syrup. You may want to reduce the amount according to taste.  Mash the bean mixture into a paste (I used a food processor) and use as an alternative to jam,  spread on pancakes or waffles, or use as a dip with fruit such as pear or apple slices. Yummy!