Beans, Beans!

They're good for your heart, the more you eat them the more you...

-Increase weight loss

-Decrease chances of suffering from diabetes

-Decrease chances of getting cancer

Just doesn't have the same ring! But it's the truth! Legumes are comforting, satisfying and bursting with health benefits. Beans are nutrient powerhouses, and there's so many different ways to include them in your diet. Legumes provide iron, zinc, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium, among many other nutrients.

The Legume family includes dried of cooked beans you can find at grocery stores: black, pinto, navy, lentils, kidney, garbanzo (chickpeas), blacked-eyed peas, and so many more!

Beans act as anti-diabetes and weight loss foods because the body digests them slowly, which stabilizes blood sugar levels, reducing hunger and caloric drive and helping to prevent food cravings. Beans have high levels of fiber which keeps you fuller longer.

Beans also have considerable anticancer effects. The resistant starches in beans are converted by healthy gut bacteria into fatty acids which help to prevent colon cancer. Eating beans, peas, or lentils more than twice a week has been found to decrease colon cancer risk by 50 percent! A high bean intake is also associated with a decreased risk of esophageal, stomach, kidney, and breast cancers.

It wasn't until a about 5 years ago that I really started including beans in my daily diet. They just weren't in a staple in my home when growing up, and I didn't really know what meals to make with them. Turns out, it's really simple! There are so many ways to include beans in your every day! I've added some recipes below that can help you increase your daily bean intake. Try replacing one snack or meal today with some type of beans and start reaping all the benefits you can!

Chickpea Salad - I prep 2 batches of this every week. It makes a great snack or lunch!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

· 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained + rinsed

· 2 stalks celery

· 1/4 cup chopped shredded carrots

· 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

· 1/4 cup dill pickle relish

· 1 avocado

· 1-2 tsp dijon mustard

· 1/8 tsp dried dill or fresh, to taste

· 1/8 tsp salt

· 1/8 tsp pepper

Preparation:

1. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until texture appears flaked, almost like tuna salad. I use both a potato masher and follow up with a fork to make sure every chickpea is deliciously smashed. You could also use a food processor and skip the arm workout!

2. Chop your celery, and pepper.

3. Add to the bowl with your chickpeas, then add avocado (mash until creamy), mustard, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat.

4. Pile high on bread with all your sandwich fixings or enjoy as a wrap, with crackers, on a salad, or simply dive into the bowl spoon-first.

Black Bean Quinoa Tacos - This meal has become a favorite in our house! The kids love it and it comes together pretty quickly.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (or smoked paprika)

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 cup dry Simply Nature Organic Quinoa

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (or water)

• 1 14-ounce can Simply Nature Organic Black Beans, drained & rinsed

• 1 lime, juiced

• Kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

• for serving: charred corn tortillas, sliced avocado, cilantro lime crema (below), chopped cilantro, salsa of choice, lime wedges, etc.

Instructions:

Prep note: Once you get cooking, these tacos come together very quickly! Get all your chopping, measuring & other prep odds & ends out of the way so cooking is a smooth process: dice the onion, mince the garlic, grab your spices & tomato paste, measure the quinoa & veggie stock, & rinse the black beans. Place everything within an arm’s reach from the stove top. 

1. Sweat the onion: Add the olive oil to a medium skillet (with lid) over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion. Season with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent & fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. 

2. Toast the aromatics: Stir the garlic into the skillet. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika) & tomato paste. Stir to coat the onion & garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until very fragrant. 

3. Cook the quinoa: Add the quinoa to the skillet, stirring to combine with the onion mixture. Let the quinoa toast for about 1 minute before adding in the vegetable broth. Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add in the black beans. Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Once the quinoa cooked, remove the skillet from the heat – but let it stand covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid. Squeeze the lime juice over top and fluff the mixture with a fork. Set aside for taco assembly.

4. Assemble & serve: Add some of the quinoa & black bean mixture to a tortilla with sliced avocado. Finish with some chopped cilantro, a spritz of fresh lime juice, & any salsas or toppings your taco-lovin’ heart desires. Enjoy!