Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Black Beans - a Healthy Vegan's BFF


Protein, Fibre, Antioxidants, Magnesium, Iron, Heart Healthy, Cancer Fighter...WOW, can you say SUPERFOOD! Black Beans are definitely a Healthy Vegan's Best Friend!!! 1 Cup of Black Beans = 15 grams of Fibre and 15 grams of Protein. There aren't any other foods out there I can think of (Vegan or not) that have such an amazing combo! These babies are actually beneficial to your digestive system and keep it functioning properly, despite bean's bad rap for being a digestive disruptor. The soluble fibre also helps in lowering blood cholesterol levels and the magnesium, folate and iron give you much needed energy! And if all this wasn't enough to convince you to incorporate these little bb's into your Vegan Diet - recent research has found that the skin on Black Beans is an amazing source of phytonutrients much like that of bright coloured veggies and fruits. These phytonutrients have anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties and are serious warriors against free radicals and inflammation (aka cancer) in your body.


5 Picky Diet Ideas to eat more Black Beans:
~ sprinkle some on your baked sweet potato
~ top off your salad with a couple spoonfuls
~ add to soups or Vegan Chili (see pickydiet.com for recipe)
~ make Black Bean burgers (see pickydiet.com for recipe)
~ mash some up and spread on a wrap or sprouted bread

Or, try this brand new Vegan Black Bean Dip Recipe...

Holly's Vegan BB Dip
1 can of Organic Black Beans rinsed and drained
1 ear of roasted corn (or half a can of organic corn)
1 avocado diced (not too soft)
1/3 red onion diced
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes quartered
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and stir well! Easy!!!
Dip some Black Bean chips in it, put a little in a GF wrap for lunch or put some on a baked potato for dinner and get all the vitamins and nutrients you need!

Happy, Healthy Vegan Eating!!!