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Mad About Beans
Meatless meals are all the rage again, and beans have served as a substitute for meat in many cultures for centuries. Whether you're moving toward a diet that is higher in fiber, trying to save money on your food budget or trying to lose weight, eating more beans can push you closer to your goals. Beans have no fat, are high in fiber and are very filling, so they are a dieter's best friend. Furthermore, studies have shown that weight loss regimes in which beans and other legumes play a large part tend to reduce belly fat more quickly than low-calorie diets that don't make use of foods high in soluble fiber. Beans, legumes and other high fiber foods also lower blood cholesterol naturally - your doctor will give you kudos at your next checkup. So save money, eat healthy AND lose weight this year by eating one or more meatless meals during the week.
Beans Without Gas
Beans aren't popular with many people due to their propensity to produce gas. Beans contain complex sugars known as oligosaccharides that can't be broken down and absorbed during digestion. The "good" bacteria living in the intestinal tract begin eating these sugars, and they produce gas in the process.
There are a number of steps you can take to reduce the amount of gassiness in beans.
1) Presoak beans overnight in clean water. Throw away your soaking water, rinse the beans and soak again for 30 minutes prior to cooking. This will eliminate many of the oligosaccharides in the beans.
2) Combine whole grain products with the beans. Whole grain products, such as whole-wheat pasta or brown rice, slow down the digestive process. This allows the bean component to pass through the digestive system more slowly, creating less opportunity for gas.
3) Add one or more of the following spices to the beans as they cook: coriander, cumin, paprika, ginger, black pepper or turmeric. These spices tend to aid digestion; ginger and coriander have been used to cure tummyaches for centuries.
4) Avoid eating potatoes and beans in the same meal. Potato starch and bean fiber seem to conflict with one another.
5) Begin incorporating beans and other legumes into your meals slowly. Eventually, the digestive system begins to adjust to the increased fiber content of meatless meals and adverse reactions go by the wayside.
6) Using a product that assists in breaking down oligosaccharides before they reach the small intestine, such as Beano, eliminates gas production.