Beans: Near Perfect Food

Beans: The Near Perfect Food

By Jayne Rosenbaum
Beans, also known as legumes because they are the seeds of plants that have
pods, are one of the first wild foods to be domesticated thousands of years ago.
They are a nutrient rich, energy packed staple that should be consumed daily for
many reasons. Not only are beans high in protein, they are rich in complex
carbohydrates, high in dietary fiber, low in fat, and contain virtually no
cholesterol. In fact, they even help to lower cholesterol levels when consumed
regularly. They also contain a chemical that helps fight the deposit of platelets in
our veins and arteries.
Beans are brimming with vitamins and minerals. They are high in B vitamins,
thiamine, niacin, B6 and folic acid. Everyone con benefit from adding beans to
their diet, women especially. Just one cup of lentils, for example, offers a quarter
of a day’s supply of iron.
When combined with foods high in vitamin E such as broccoli, tomatoes,
peppers, citrus fruits or juices, absorption of iron is much higher. Diabetics and
hypoglycemics benefit because eating beans does not trigger a rise in blood
sugar, thus conserving insulin. Release of insulin promotes fat storage.
Carbohydrate foods like bread, potatoes and pasta causes the body to release
insulin.
Great for weight watchers, beans actually help to flush away fat rather than
allowing the body to store it for future us as fuel. Beans give you more volume
and weight per calories ingested keeping you full longer, and their fiber content
acts like an intestinal broom sweeping through the digestive tract and promoting
regularity, which keeps colon cancer at bay. Best of all beans take longer to
digest so that in effect we actually burn more calories than we ingest just to
digest them!
All over the world beans are an ingredient in yummy dishes: Brazil’s feijoado,
India’s dal, Spain’s potaje del garbanzos, Mexico’s frijoles refritos, france’s
casoulet, Israel’s hummus, Italy’s pasta e fagoili, Japan’s miso pastes and
China’s stir-fried tofu and pea pods. In the U.S., we have our own baked beans
of New England and black eyed peas and Cajun rice and beans of the South.
Beans are versatile, healthy and just plain good for you! Yes, I would say beans
are the near perfect food, how about you?
Escarole and White Bean Soup
1 head of escarole, rinsed well and torn
8 cups of chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups of white beans, dry weight
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly grounded pepper, to taste
Wash and tear the escarole, set it aside. In a large pot, bring to a boil the broth.
Add the beans. Lower to simmer, cover and cook beans until they are almost
tender adding broth/water as the liquid is absorbed. Saute the garlic and onions
in olive oil and add to the beans.
Continue to simmer for about 15 more minutes. Lastly, add the escarole and
cook until just tender about 10 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve
with crusty bread for proper dipping. Enjoy!