Saturday, August 18, 2012

Kidney Beans - Nutritional Value, Health Benefits and Recipes

When I did my monthly shopping a couple weeks ago I bought quite a few beans. My goal was to eat healthier and cheaper. I was hoping to buy some large bags of dry beans but the store that I thought would have them didn't carry them in the bulk amounts I wanted. So I bought some smaller bags of dry beans as well as some in cans. This week I've been cooking with some of the canned kidney beans and I decided to research some of the specific health benefits of these yummy beans.

Here are a few of the things I learned. Actually, some of it I knew already, but other things were completely knew to me. 

Kidney beans scientific name is Phaseolus Vulgaris and there are over 30,000 different varieties of throughout the world. India, Brazil, Mexico, the US and China are some of the main producers of beans. 

Kidney beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Both are very important in a healthy diet. They are high in Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Folate. They are also a good source of protein, but it is an incomplete protein. Including a whole grain with your meal of kidney beans will provide the ingredients for a complete protein, without the saturated fats and cholesterol that many other protein sources contain. 

Crusty Mexican Bean Bake is a recipe I found using kidney beans that sounds wonderfully delicious and healthy that I am hoping to try soon.

A recipe that we have made and I posted about earlier this week is Slow Cooker Beans and Bacon.




And here is another recipe that we tried this week.

Cheesy Beans and Rice

2 cups rice
4 cups water
1 large (52 ounce) can kidney beans or 3 small (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1cup water
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
2 peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is done.

Saute chopped peppers and onion in olive oil.

Pour beans into a casserole dish. Add water,  chili powder, ground cumin, salt, black pepper and sauteed peppers and onions. Stir. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Add cheese and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. 

Serve beans over cooked rice.





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1 comment:

  1. I love beans! You can't beat the price for what you are getting. So many nutrients and fiber to boot! Yep, love those beans. I like your Cheesy Beans and Rice recipe.

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