Beans are a boon for vegetarians as they provide ample proteins, vitamins, B complex vitamins, minerals and fibers and are filling. Beans are low in carbohydrates and find much use in weight loss meal plans.
Healthiest Beans Benefits
A variety of meal preparations can be made with different kinds of beans like mixed beans, vegetables, spiced cooked bean seeds, bean soup. All forms of soy food items are made from soybean. Soybean can be consumed as nuggets, granules, snack dishes, and milk. There are over 400 varieties of beans all over the world, and these easily grow in all types of soil.
The bean seed and the bean plant
Most people know beans to be some kind of seeds that grow inside pods and have oblong shapes like that of the kidney. Circular seeds that grow inside pods are often called peas. In general, all seeds that grow inside pods are called pulse or pulses in the plural. Plants that grow pulse in pods are called legumes. From this classification, it can be said that the bean seed is a type of pulse seed and the bean plant is a type of legume plant. In several bean plants, the pods, leaves, stems, and seeds are edible. The pods of garden bean plants, along with the seeds inside, are used to make vegetable curries in India.
Healthiest beans
The healthiest beans can be green and fresh beans. Though dried and processed beans are rich in nutrition too, but when it comes to better digestion, fresh and green is always preferred. Several types of bean plants grow all over India. These only require soil and water to grow with very little tending. Bean plants and their pods and seeds provide essential nutrients in good amounts at a very low cost.
Adzuki
Adzuki is a type of bean seed from the Adzuki plant. Adzuki is widely consumed in Japan and China. Though now found mostly in Japan, the origin of Adzuki is said to have been in the Himalayas 4000 years ago. The original plants were crossbred to become what is now Adzuki. Adzuki beans are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and have very little fat. Minerals like magnesium, iron, potassium, and folate are found in significant proportion in Adzuki beans. The bean is consumed for improving digestion and bowel movement and preventing constipation.
Adzuki has been known to have benevolent health effects like reduction of cholesterol levels, toxins, and sugar in the blood. The bean is known to reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer. Adzuki is used for making a whole lot of meal preparations. Adzuki dessert preparations are sumptuous and popular. Adzuki paste is used in cakes, ice creams as an alternative to pastes and creams with high-fat content. Adzuki is filling and reduces the craving for unhealthy high cholesterol fatty foods.
Sem
Sem is the garden variety of bean plants that grows well all over India. The whole pod with the seeds inside is cooked with potato, chickpeas, and other vegetables to make a wholesome dish. The pods of the sem plant are large, and the seeds inside are kidney-shaped and large too. The seeds can be plucked from the pods and can be consumed separately. Fresh sem seeds are nutritious and easily digestible than the dried and processed forms.
Gawar
Gawar is another kind of bean plant that grows mostly in the northern part of India. Compared to sem, the gawar pods are flat and narrow, and the seeds inside are very small. Gawar is nutritious, easily available during the season and low cost. Gawar can be cooked with brinjal, potato, tomato, chickpeas and other vegetables and pulses.
Common beans
These are the thin rod-like green pods. Common beans can be some modification of the French bean plant. These are quite affordable though the cost can sometimes be more as compared to other greens. Common beans are preferred for rich nutrition and health benefits. Common beans can be cooked with vegetables, peas and pulses just like sem and gawar.
Can dried bean seeds cause flatulence?
Overeating dried kidney beans preparation is known to cause flatulence. Other dry legume seeds like chickpeas are also known to cause flatulence. It is best not to overeat spiced processed bean seeds preparations. Dried bean seeds are said to contain more complex sugar. Complex sugars are broken down by good bacteria in the gut to produce methane as a byproduct. Certain foods can reduce gas like curd, probiotics and herbs like ajwain. Processed or dried bean seeds prepared with herbs can be had in lunch with whole grains and curd once or twice a week.