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Thursday Thirteen X

Posted on November 7, 2007 by Mishi | 28 Comments

T H U R S D A Y T H I R T E E N : : T E N T H E D I T I O N

“Beans”

Beans, beans good for your heart,
The more you eat the more you fart,
The more you fart, the better you feel,
Let’s eat beans at every meal!

beans.jpg abean.jpg mbean.jpg

 

  • Technically, dried beans and pulses are the edible seeds that grow in pods on annual plants, bushes, or vines. In developed countries, they are considered vegetables, though botanists classify them as fruits. Bean seeds can be eaten fresh, sprouted, dried, and ground into flour. Because they can be easily stored and shipped, beans most frequently are dried, which prolongs their keeping qualities.
  • Worldwide, thousands of bean varieties flourish. Many beans and pulses are known by several names, depending on the culture and history of where they originated in the Old World and where they were first grown, and often still are produced, in the New World.
  • For centuries, dried beans and other pulses have served as a primary protein source for many cultures.
  • While developing countries’ populations may be turning away from highly nutritious and indigenous foods such as beans, many consumers in wealthier, more developed countries are adding more dry beans to their diets.
  • Growing interest in various ethnic cuisines and knowledge of the benefits of eating more plant-based foods are contributing to renewed research and increased popularity and consumption of beans in certain countries.
  • Dry beans and other pulses, also referred to as legumes – navy, red, black, kidney and white beans; cowpeas and black-eye peas; lentils and split peas; fava and lima beans; etc. – are nutrient-dense. That is, calorie for calorie, beans supply high levels of various nutrients.
  • Dried beans and other pulses/legumes are relatively inexpensive yet offer a healthful way to include nutrient-rich foods in the daily diet. According to the United Stated Department of Agriculture, analysis show that people who eat beans consume more vitamins and minerals than individuals who don’t eat beans.
  • A serving – 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans – supplies about 120 calories and lots of complex carbohydrates, though beans offer a low-glycemic index value. In other words, the carbohydrates in beans do not cause as quick or as steep a rise in blood sugar as do many other carbohydrate-rich foods.
  • Beans are a good source of B vitamins including folic acid.
  • Beans also provide the minerals iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium and even some calcium.
  • Dried beans and their cousins also are a good source of insoluble fiber, which promotes digestive health and relieves constipation. Beans also provide soluble fiber, which can help reduce fat levels in the blood.
  • Beans provide little fat and absolutely no cholesterol. While beans do not supply complete protein, researchers believe that the particular amino acids in dry beans may help prevent various diseases.

Information for today’s Thursday Thirteen taken from: Beans for Health

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 at 11:17 pm and is filed under NaBloPoMo, Thursday Thirteen. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

28 Comments to “Thursday Thirteen X”

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