Commit to Health Series: Substitute Beans for Meat Once in a While

The last post in this series on committing to health this year is a really simple one, and one most of you are probably already doing on a regular basis, but it bears repeating. Substitute beans for meat in your meals once in a while. Not only are they cheaper and have a longer shelf life than meat, they have more fiber and water content than meat, as well as less fat. You'll feel fuller and eat less when you use beans in your cooking. Check out this article from WebMD to get more scientific info. You can use canned beans or dried beans in your recipes. However, using dried beans and soaking them and then cooking them slowly will allow them to soak up more of the flavor of whatever dish you're making. Canned beans really don't do that. But I can't deny the convenience and cheap availability of canned beans, either. They're great to throw on top of a salad or add to tacos. My dad and grandma would always make White Beans and Ham on Mondays while they did their jobs. I'll try to make some up soon and get some photos to go along with the recipe. It is cheap and easy and extra filling.

Here are three really easy recipes with beans that I've posted before:

Spinach Salad with Cannellini Beans and Tuna
Red Beans and RiceNachos LibreAnd if you're into really convenient cooking, I've noticed that Dennison's Chili and Hormel Chili are both gluten free, although Hormel is the only one to have added gluten free to their labels. Woot!Happy, healthy eating!