Past Issues
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Eat Well, Be Well ~ Notes from the Nutrition Coordinator
Pinto beans are members of the kidney bean family. They are popular in southern diets and the most common bean eaten in the United States and northwestern Mexico, partly because they are cheaper than other beans. Beans are special because they can count as either a vegetable or meat in your diet. Eating dry beans is recommended for everyone because:
- Like vegetables, they are high in dietary fiber and folate, which are low in diets of many Americans.
- Like meats, they are packed with nutrients, like iron and zinc, but a lot less expensive.
- Pinto beans are full of tissue building B vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron.
- The soluble fiber in beans can help lower cholesterol.
- Preparing dry beans allows you to control the salt.
How to Prepare and Cook Dried Pinto Beans
- Sort, Soak, Drain, and Rinse: Sort dried beans to remove and stones or dirt. Soak overnight in cold water to reduce cooking time. Quick Soak Method: Add sorted beans to water in a pan and bring to a boil for two minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat and let beans steam for an hour. Drain and rinse soaked beans and cook in clean water to cut down on gas.
- Cook (Stovetop): Drain and rinse beans, add water and cook as usual for 2-3 hours until tender, not mushy. Add hot water if needed to complete cooking process.
- Cook (Microwave): Place soaked and rinsed beans in a microwave safe pan with water. Cook on high for 8-10 minutes or until water boils. Cook at 50% power for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender.
- Other Cooking Tips:
- Increase cooking time in areas with hard water.
- Adding 1/8th to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of beans can help soften hard water. Or you can cook beans in distilled water.
- Acidic ingredients (tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice or wine) toughen beans so add to beans after they have softened.
A healthy Pinto Bean recipe you can use TODAY! Pinto Beans and Veggies
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 2 T poultry seasoning
- 2 T garlic and onion powder
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans, drained
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and seasonings and cook until onions are soft. Add stewed tomatoes and cooked pinto beans. Add salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Serve with rice or over pasta to make a complete protein.
Want something sweet?
Make a mock pumpkin pie using 2 cups cooked, mashed unseasoned pinto beans, 3 eggs, 1 can evaporated milk, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in an unbaked pie shell. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Cut oven down to 350° and bake for another 45 minutes.
What is a “Food of the Month”?
Our “Food of the Month” is a product available in our Lowcountry
Food Bank's warehouses. It is one that meets our criteria of a healthy
food.
What is a LCFB's “Healthy Food”?
Healthy foods are fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meat and
poultry, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and foods that do not
contain excessive amounts of fat or caloric sweeteners.
How are our recipes designed?
Our recipes are designed with the clients of our agencies in mind:
those who are hungry and poor.
The recipes:
- Use ingredients common in Lowcountry kitchens.
- Are tasty and easy to prepare.
- Meet our criteria for a healthy food.
- Limit high priced herbs and spices which may included as optional
ingredients.
We’d Like to Hear from You
We encourage your comments. They will help us understand concerns and
interests of those who use “Eat Well; Be Well”. Please contact Germaine Hall, Nutrition Coordinator at the Lowcountry Food Bank, (843) 747-8146 ext.. 113 or ghall@lcfbank.org.
Sources: www.mypyramid.gov, www.cahe.nmsu.edu, www.foodsthatkeep.com.
Check out www.allrecipes.com! This site allows you to find other healthy recipes for our food of the month and even customizes a recipe when you change the number of servings.
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