superfood #1: beans

well i started reading this book called "superfoods rx" by steven pratt. in it, he has selected 14 "superfoods" that are the flagship foods for food groups dense in nutrients, and more specifically, micronutrients, which have been shown to promote health and may decrease the chance of things like cancer and heart disease. they are also foods low in "bad stuff" like fat, sodium, and cholestrol. eating is all about choices so i've been trying to eat more of these superfoods. it's been really good so far so just thought i'd share. superfoods will go between my usual posts i guess :)

so here we go: superfood #1: beans

haha, ok, you (i know who you are) laugh because it's the musical fruit, there are things you can do with beans to make them less.. umm.. musical. them music is a result of bacteria in the stomach attacking the indigestible material in the beans. beans can be made to be quieter by:
-eating in small amounts so your body becomes accustomed to them
-eating canned or mashed beans (like hummus!)
-soaking beans before cooking, boil a few minutes, let soak a few hours (releases some of the indigestible carbohydrate)

why eat them?: beans are a low-fat protein, vitamin-rich and lower cholesterol, combat heart disease, lessen the risk of cancer and stabilize blood sugars.

how often?: try to eat at least 4 servings a week (peas count too!)

this picture is from beans i soaked to make a soup. i put them in the crockpot with some chicken breast and vegetables... as my tasters commented, the taste was good but the texture of the chicken was weird. also i cooked them too long i think so the beans were too soft... so next time, i'll use some other kind of meat and cook it shorter. lesson learned: chicken breast is just not a crockpot food. beans aren't as hard as you think.