I cooked beans. Implementing into current routine. General Healthy Eating.

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startbyserving
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:45 pm

I cooked beans. Implementing into current routine. General Healthy Eating.

Post by startbyserving »

I overcame the ever so intimidating processes of soaking things in water, boiling water, waiting, etc.

I tried a number of different beans. Black beans were my favorite so far. - Mostly due to the way they visually turned out. - All beans I cooked tasted fine. Kidney beans looked funny after soaking - I wanted to toss 50-75% of them, but couldn't bring myself to do so. - I only tossed the worst looking ones.

1. Soak over-night or at least 4-8 hours (For Kidney beans boil for short-time, then soak.)
2. Empty water and replace.*
3. Cook beans at simmer until tender enough to eat.

I did not add any seasoning or flavoring to the beans. In fact I found that I don't have a problem with beans at all. I learned that I don't like flavorings / sauce that most people use in baked-beans! I take typical meal like taco's (I avoid red meat, so this would be chicken). I use about 25% of the meat I would typically place in a taco. I then use 75% plain beans. Since SO like's a little more seasoning than I do the 25% chicken is enough to season the entire taco.

Now I've been using beans as a general meat substitute. Sandwich with Curly's pulled chicken? 50-75% beans turns 1 meal into 3.


Some things I've learned: Beans=Gas is nonsense. I've experienced very little gas compared to things like meat and protein bars (The worst). Most sources of protein have a good chance of causing gas, and going to the restroom frequently will decrease this. (Per the internet) For beans, the outside coating is what causes majority of gas. That is why you replace the water after soaking. (Research extra cautions on Kidney Beans). If I try really hard, I can finish a 16 ounce package of beans within a week. I keep them in fridge sitting in the pan / water I cooked them in. If I can't finish them, I carefully freeze what is left . I place strained beans on a plastic sheet in freezer. Once they get 'lightly frozen' I place them loosely into a storage container (Hopefully they are frozen enough that they don't stick together too much.)

At some point I'll actually "Learn to cook healthy". However I am doing my best to transition in the mean time. If I eat pizza, I cut fresh tomato and add it on top. Fresh tomato for tacos as well. (Trying to eat fresh anytime I can). _ have tried a few new things like 'spagetti squash' , but not something I do regularly. A big challenge is weeding out the 90% of crap that people call healthy.
Advertising / ingrained knowledge for most people:
Less unhealthy than something else = healthy (low Fat , Less calories, etc.)
Healthy Item + 4 Unhealthy items = Healthy. (Steak sandwich at Subway on white bread, with cheese, 2 dressings, and tomatoes)
For 99% of people (including most 'healthy eaters' Taste is the # 1 priority. Someone would rather eat something edible that is 'sorta healthy' than something tasteless that is "really healthy". - Still trying to learn where I fall on this spectrum and how to obtain it.

*I've heard some people will use the same water for soaking and cooking, then consume this water. I would not risk this myself.

stoneage
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:24 am

Re: I cooked beans. Implementing into current routine. General Healthy Eating.

Post by stoneage »

Nice !

Good luck on improving your eating habits. I've been eating carefully (ie caring about what I ate) for 4 months while improving drastically my health : Weightloss, less to no allergy, less to no asthma, almost no rosacea.

"converting" to beans and avoiding sugar/fast carbs was all it took.

Summer comming, BBQ and birthday parties helping, old habits kicked back and what had become exceptions no longer was : sugar, alcool, pastas, came back into my everyday diet.

Sure enough, asthma and allergy kicked in, and I gained ~8 pounds in a month (yep...)

I'm taking back control, after a break from family life. Asthma gone within two days. unbelievable.

This to encourage you towards "healthier", and telling you setbacks are momentary if you gain enough momentum, seeing tangible improvements in your everyday life.

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