Beans are incredibly healthy, combining fibre, iron, minerals, and complex carbs. They are prebiotics, meaning they feed the good kind of bacteria in our gut. For vegetarians and vegans beans are also an excellent source of protein. And they are delicious and versatile. This week alone I used beans to make burger patties and a spicy dip.
If you are looking for a source of healthy carbohydrates, look no further. But how do I eat them if I don’t want to use the canned variety? When I decided not to eat Processed Foods anymore I had to figure out how to actually cook beans.
Unprocessed beans
That was last year. Full disclosure: my first try was not particularly successful. The beans were either over or undercooked and I had some uncomfortable side effects. But I don’t give up that easily and now I’m a fan. Depending on the country you live in, you can buy dried beans in supermarkets or health food stores.
Cooking beans is actually not difficult but it requires prep. I soak them for at least 72 hours in a covered container that has a hole so gases can escape. Yes, three days. Every day, I change the water, rinse the beans and then soak them again in plenty of fresh water. I wash them one more time before I cook them.
Beans double or even tripple in size while they soak, so bear that in mind when you pick the amount you want to cook and the bowl you soak them in. If you are a spontaneous cook and preparing a meal three days in advance seems annoying to you, here’s another tip.
Sometimes when the three days are over and I don’t feel like a bean-recipe after all, I just cook something else, change the water and keep them for another day. The longest I’ve postponed was five days and the beans were fine! Better than fine because they cooked faster and caused hardly any side-effects.
The elefant in the room
Yes, beans cause gas. It’s a normal byproduct of a healthy digestion and if you follow my cooking instructions, you can keep it to a minimum. The first time I cooked beans, I was very uncomfortable. But now that I know how to cook them, that’s no longer an issue.
When you change from unhealthy carbs to a healthier diet, you will also produce more gas at first because your microbiome needs to adjust to the different foods. This is only temporary so hang in there and open lots of windows.
I look forward to trying different types of beans in a variety of recipes and as always I’ll share what works and what doesn’t. Beans are just too healthy to miss out on. I am certainly glad I gave them another chance.
The Dodo Munches cannot and does not contain medical/health advice. The information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please read the full disclaimer here.