Prairie Fare: Add some health-promoting beans to your menu

“I make really good refried beans,” my then-date said.

We were comparing the foods we liked to cook.

“Well, are you going to make me some refried beans?” I asked rather boldly.

He agreed to make me his special recipe. He seemed a little nervous when he served me the beans.

The refried beans were delicious, and the rest is history. Bad refried beans would not have been a deal breaker, though.

My former date and I have been married for more than 31 years. My husband still has not told me his secret recipe for refried beans.

The beans were not “fried” or “refried” at all. The term comes from the Spanish word, “frijoles refritos” (translated to well-fried beans). Traditionally, lard (pork fat) was used in refried beans.

I grew up eating a lot of beans, not knowing how good they are for our health.

Eating more beans, such as navy and pinto, may reduce our risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer of the breast, stomach, colon, kidney and prostate. They are naturally high in antioxidants believed to play a role in reducing our risk for these chronic diseases.

Colorful red, brown or black beans are a bit higher in antioxidants than white beans, but all are nutritious additions to our diet.

Beans are readily available in dry and canned form. Dry beans require a soaking process, but you could save a little money by starting with the dry form.

Beans are particularly rich in protein and fiber. They are good sources of the B vitamin folate.

Dry beans are gluten-free and are staples in vegetarian and vegan diets. When combined with rice or another grain, beans provide the full complement of amino acids (protein building blocks). Beans also provide some iron and zinc.

But what about the tendency of beans to produce gas? Beans contain natural sugars (oligosaccharides) associated with gas production in our lower intestine. We do not have the enzymes to break down these natural sugars.

When the sugars wind their way to our large intestine, our “friendly bacteria” ferment them. Flatulence might result. 

I was pretty brave to eat a large bowl of refried beans on a date, by the way.

Researchers at Arizona State University reported that flatulence from eating beans may be overblown, so to speak. The participants in three different feeding studies ate a diet supplemented with pinto beans, black-eyed peas and/or canned carrots. Some people (the control group) ate no foods associated with gas production.

Less than half of the participants reported gas from eating pinto or baked beans. Only about one in five experienced gas with the black-eyed peas. More interestingly, some people in the control group reported gas production without any beans in their diet.

Beans are a major crop in the Midwest, and we have many options in stores, including navy, pinto, kidney, black beans and many others. Many culinary professionals prefer the quality of dry beans prepared using a soaking and cooking process.

When soaking and cooking dry beans, avoid using “hard” water because the beans may not tenderize. You can use distilled water for soaking and cooking or add a pinch of baking soda to the soaking water. Be sure to discard the soak water and rinse the beans.

Many experts recommend a hot-soak method for best quality, where the beans are boiled for three minutes then allowed to stand for four hours (one hour at room temperature, three hours in the refrigerator). The quick soak method involves the same three-minute boil but just one hour of soaking, and this is the fastest method.

If you soak dry beans at room temperature for many hours, the sugars could begin to ferment, and your kitchen may be filled with a terrible aroma.

In recipes calling for canned beans, you can substitute soaked, cooked beans. Two cups of dry beans equals about 4 cups of cooked beans. See the NDSU Extension publication “All About Beans” for more information about health benefits, preparation and several recipes.

I wish I had my husband’s famous refried bean recipe to share, but alas, I do not. Here’s a recipe using canned beans for those end-of-summer cookouts.

Sizzlin’ Baked Beans

1 (28-ounce) can vegetarian baked beans, undrained
½ green pepper, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1½ tablespoons molasses
1½ tablespoons ketchup
4 strips uncooked bacon (or turkey bacon), diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown bacon and drain fat. In a 9-by-13-inch greased pan, mix all ingredients. Crumble and sprinkle bacon evenly over the top. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 40 minutes.

Makes 12 servings. Each serving has 100 calories, 1.5 grams (g) fat, 5 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber and 360 milligrams sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Aug. 29, 2024

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Elizabeth Cronin, 701-231-7006, elizabeth.cronin@ndsu.edu