So what’s so great... and bad about beans!?

With a near-perfect nutrition profile, beans provide myriad health benefits and fit into several different food groups: they are rich in complex carbohydrates like breads and starches; as a plant-based food, they offer an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are in the protein group, supplying good protein.

Like other vegetables, however, beans also contain lectins. Lectins are an “anti-nutrient,” which means they can block the absorption of nutrients. Lectins are a natural defense in plants, acting as a toxin that deters animals from eating them (source). Research shows certain types of lectins bind to cells on the gut wall. This allows them to communicate with the cells, and can trigger an immune response. Almost everyone has antibodies to some dietary lectins in their body. This means our responses vary. Large amounts of lectins can reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Castor beans contain so much lectin that they are toxic to most. While lectins are found in all plants, raw legumes (beans, lentils, peas, soybeans, peanuts), grains and wheat, contain the highest amounts. There is a ton of research on the health detriments of lectins, however, proper preparation and cooking eliminates the harmful ones almost completely. Beans also contain phytates, which blocks the body’s uptake of iron and zinc and the absorption of some nutrients. Again, with proper preparation it’s possible to remove the phytic acid.

So what is the proper preparation? Soaking beans for two days and allowing some fermentation to begin to take place is an important first step in preparing beans. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon recommends letting the beans soak until they sprout just a little. Yes, it gets bubbly. Rinsing the water each day is also important, but if you forget, not to worry, just make sure you do not cook the beans in the soaking water. This two day method helps get rid of the phytic acid. Be sure to throw the water out with the phytates. Cooking, slow and simmering for several hours, can render most lectins inactive. However, raw beans simmered at low heat such as in a slow-cooker or undercooking the beans will not remove all the lectins.

The nutritional benefits of beans far outweigh the potential negative effects of lectins and phytates. Foremost, beans can hold their own in the protein group, supplying protein aplenty.

So soak your beans until they are nice and ferment and please avoid the cans. I know you may have a stash that you need to use up, so be it!

Are dried beans really better?

YEP!

Canned beans have been cooked to death! Ok, maybe that is an exaggeration.

But most have a metallic taste, and most are too salty or worst, mushy.

Cooking with dried beans lets you season them to to your taste (think cooking with onions and carrots (and a ham hock!) and you get to making them mushy if you want (hummus)

It’s really time to move on to dried beans.

Oh and one more problem with canned beans: the plastic lining and EVEN though there are many cans lines that now say “BPA free” (we don’t REALLY know the safety of what it is lined with.)

What is BPA or ‘Bisphenol A’ ?

It’s a chemical that has been used to make plastics since the 1950s. No good news about it:

BPA can ‘mimic’ the action of the hormone estrogen in our bodies, and is linked to obesity and problems with brain development.

Dried beans are more cost-effective than canned; they're tastier; there are tons of varieties to explore.

The down side of canned beans:

The high temperature and short cooking time of canned beans leave much of the lectins in the beans. There is much added salt and other additives to retain the beans' texture and color. Plus, you are contributing to the industrial food supply that supports bad growing practices.

Ask your local farmer as most farmers markets have small batch beans that have been dried and sell for $6.00 a bag.

Splurge! 1 cup of beans expands to 3 cups when soaked (for most beans!)

Check out Rancho Gordo beans. Most specialty shops now carry their beans.

Two days before you need your beans:

Cover your beans with 3x the amount of beans with water.

Keep it on your counter overnight.

Rinse 3-5 times over the next 2 days.

One the 2nd day, you can cook your beans.

Add a bunch of salt and a piece of kombu )(if you have- if you don’t: add it to your pantry staple list! AND Yes!! you should have a pantry staple list!)

Kombu helps make the beans more digestible.

Add a 4-6″ strip of kombu to a pot of cooking beans.

The kombu will disintegrate and you can allow the pieces of comb to be in the beans, no need to pick it out.

A long slow simmer. Add cooked to your liking! and all beans cook at different times. It depends on how old the beans are as the older they are the longer they take to cook. It could be 40 minutes and it could be 2 hours.

And lentils do not need to be soaked and are pretty quick to cook!