# Are canned beans bad for you?



## Rocco32 (Jun 10, 2006)

I'm not talking about pork and beans but like black beans, kidney beans etc. I've been eating that with my meat alot lately.


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## BigDyl (Jun 10, 2006)

I guess the aluminum from the cans are bad?


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## GFR (Jun 10, 2006)

I buy canned beans at whole foods, beans are one of the few can products I will use.


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## min0 lee (Jun 10, 2006)

Bagged beans taste better.


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## GFR (Jun 10, 2006)

min0 lee said:
			
		

> Bagged beans taste better.


How do you cook them, and how long does it take???? I only use Balck beans for my food.


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## GFR (Jun 10, 2006)

ForemanRules said:
			
		

> How do you cook them, and how long does it take???? I only use Balck beans for my food.


Racist!!


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## min0 lee (Jun 10, 2006)

ForemanRules said:
			
		

> How do you cook them, and how long does it take???? I only use Balck beans for my food.


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Jodi*
_It's all in the preparation. *If you soak them correctly*, you will get rid of most of the flatulance cause by beans._


*COOKING DRIED BEANS
TIPS FOR PREVENTING GAS

*Quote:
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION:
Dry beans also are easy to prepare. They have, however, gained a reputation for being hard to digest and are known to cause a little flatulence or "gas." To help eliminate this problem, try cooking dried beans like this:

Soak dried beans overnight or at least for five hours. (This isn't necessary for dried peas and lentils.) Discard the water, add fresh water, cook for half hour and discard the water. Rinse beans thoroughly until water runs clear. Cover with fresh water and cook until tender. This method will help prevent "gas," which is caused by complex carbohydrates (raffinose sugars) that are not broken down in digestion. When they ferment in the large intestine, they produce carbon dioxide, hydrogen and a little hydrogen sulfide, that can cause gas.

If you want to include more beans in your diet, but increase your "comfort zone" with them, you should: 
Start slowly by eating beans only a couple of times a week at first. This helps your body adjust to digesting them. 
Drink lots of fluids to help the digestive system handle the increased dietary fiber. 

Soak and cook thoroughly to eliminate the raffinose sugars that make beans hard to digest. 

Other helpful hints for cooking beans are to add one tablespoon of oil to beans to keep the foam down while cooking. If your recipe calls for tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar or other acidic foods, add these items after beans are tender. The presence of acid keeps beans from softening. 

Also, contrary to advice you may have heard, DO NOT use baking soda when cooking beans. It robs them of their nutritional value.

USA WEEKEND MAGAZINE:
Soak and rinse beans several times to remove gas-producing sugars, USDA researchers advise. Always change the water before cooking. 

Adding garlic and ginger, dried or fresh, to a cooking pot of beans can reduce the beans' gas-producing properties, according to research in India. 

Supermarket anti-gas products, in pill or powder such as Beano and BeSure, can help. 

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY:
Beans are full of starch including some that do not digest easily. Digesting this starch can produce gas, giving rise to the rhyme Beans, beans, the musical fruit.... There are several ways to quiet this music so you can enjoy the health benefits of beans.

Gradually increase the amount of beans you eat, so your digestive system can adjust.

Soak beans overnight then discard the soaking water. Some, but not all, of the hard-to-digest carbohydrates dissolve into the water and are then poured off.

This quick method also helps reduce gas: Cover beans with water. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Let set at least one hour, but preferably four hours. The longer beans soak, the more gas-causing substances are removed.

Try Beano, a product found in the pharmacy section or on the bean aisle of the grocery store. Its natural enzymes help digest gas-producing carbohydrates.


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## min0 lee (Jun 10, 2006)

ForemanRules said:
			
		

> How do you cook them, and how long does it take???? I only use Balck beans for my food.


Cubans make great black beans "Frijoles".
I wonder if GG eats them.


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## GFR (Jun 10, 2006)

min0 lee said:
			
		

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jodi*
> _It's all in the preparation. *If you soak them correctly*, you will get rid of most of the flatulance cause by beans._
> 
> ...


Thanks


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## min0 lee (Jun 10, 2006)

ForemanRules said:
			
		

> Thanks


You owe me big time.


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## Emma-Leigh (Jun 10, 2006)

Rocco32 said:
			
		

> I'm not talking about pork and beans but like black beans, kidney beans etc. I've been eating that with my meat alot lately.


They are great. Some people may be worried about the sodium etc added... but if you rinse them then most of it is washed out. And in 95% of people, a little extra salt is not going to be a problem*.

So if you are fine with eating food from a can - I say you can eat up. 


* = the other 5% are those a week out from a show... or those with known blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease problems who are on salt restricted diets.


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## vortrit (Jun 13, 2006)

Rocco32 said:
			
		

> I'm not talking about pork and beans but like black beans, kidney beans etc. I've been eating that with my meat alot lately.



Usually LOADED with salt... I eat a lot of Black Eyed Peas. They cook really fast compared to a lot of other bagged beans and have a really nice flavor.


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## leg_press (Jun 13, 2006)

I've tried several times to cook bagged beans and they always end up bein solid after I have cooked them, so I stick with canned beans, or baked beans.


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## Emma-Leigh (Jun 13, 2006)

leg_press said:
			
		

> I've tried several times to cook bagged beans and they always end up bein solid after I have cooked them, so I stick with canned beans, or baked beans.


You have to soak most legumes overnight first (all except for lentils). So leave them in water for 12-16 hrs then rinse them well. Add some boiling water and some herbs then simmer until they are soft (usually 30-45 minutes).


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## Jodi (Jun 14, 2006)

I'm laughing at the idea that just ran through my head.....

Young bachelor buys a bag of kidney beans.  Gets home, opens the bag, dumps it into a pot with water.  Boils for 30 mins and tries to eat them 

Sorry it was funny in my head


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## Rocco32 (Jun 14, 2006)

Jodi said:
			
		

> I'm laughing at the idea that just ran through my head.....
> 
> Young bachelor buys a bag of kidney beans.  Gets home, opens the bag, dumps it into a pot with water.  Boils for 30 mins and tries to eat them
> 
> Sorry it was funny in my head


The sad thing is my wife did this last year when I wanted to "cook" our own beans. I will never let her tell me she can cook beans again


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## vortrit (Jun 14, 2006)

Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> You have to soak most legumes overnight first (all except for lentils). So leave them in water for 12-16 hrs then rinse them well. Add some boiling water and some herbs then simmer until they are soft (usually 30-45 minutes).



True. My parents have been cooking them forever and eat them about twice a week. If you got a crock pot, you could put them in there before you go out and they will be done when you get back from work or something. I'm not too sure if this wouldn't boil out a lot of the nutrients into the water though. Anyone know?


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## leg_press (Jun 17, 2006)

Jodi said:
			
		

> I'm laughing at the idea that just ran through my head.....
> 
> Young bachelor buys a bag of kidney beans.  Gets home, opens the bag, dumps it into a pot with water.  Boils for 30 mins and tries to eat them
> 
> Sorry it was funny in my head



Reminds me of when my parents 1st got married, mum made Dad a curry usin condensed sauce but didnt water it down, she just poured it over the chicken and let it simmer, my Dad commented on the heat of the meal and my mum checked the can ( *one* can sauce to *three* cans water)


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