Are canned beans healthy? Absolutely, but it's important to find no-salt-added varieties.
Many cans of beans contain more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium per cup. So if you’re soaking and rinsing canned beans, you’re still left with 700 milligrams, which is about half what we should consume for the entire day.
Rinsing canned beans | Disappointing results
Eating soaked and rinsed canned beans, at 700 milligrams of sodium per cup, is more sodium than you’d get in two large orders of French fries at McDonald’s. Yes, it’s one big slug of artery-stiffening sodium.
No-salt-added canned beans
That’s why no-salt-added cans of beans are the way to go for your blood pressure and overall health. And nicely, many supermarkets nationwide now carry no-salted-added canned beans, from garbanzos to pintos to black beans to white beans.
Stock up! They’re so easy to use. Pour your beans into soups, stews, salads, and more. For fiber, protein, lowering cholesterol, and losing weight, beans can’t be beat. Research has repeatedly found that among long-living populations worldwide, the common denominator in terms of food among these live-to-100 cultures is beans.
Another big plus about no-salt-added canned beans is that you’ll never again have to waste time or effort soaking and rinsing canned beans. Just open the lid, and you’re good to go!
To get you started, here’s a super-simple bean-rich recipe that guests at the Pritikin Longevity Center always enjoy.
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| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 4people | 25minutes | 32minutes |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4people | 25minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 32minutes |
- 3/4 cup red onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic chopped
- 3/4 cup red bell peper thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup wine white
- 3/4 cup tomatoes Roma (fresh) seeded and finely chopped
- 1-1/4 cups white beans cooked
- 2 tablespoons vinegar balsamic
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons basil (fresh) leaves chopped
- 1-1/4 cups spinach fresh stems picked and sliced
Ingredients
Servings: people Units: |
- In a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat, saute onions, garlic, and red bell pepper in white wine for about 10 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and white beans. Combine well and cook another 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper, basil, and spinach. Cook 1 minute more. Serve hot.
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