FULL OF (WHITE) BEANS

Whether you wish to age gracefully or disgracefully, boosting health and wellbeing will help. Study after study demonstrates that a healthy dietary pattern is essential for longevity and wellbeing in later years (1). Dietary quality keeps coming up as a theme in research, including carbohydrate quality (2). Regular readers of GI News know that quality carbohydrates include high fibre foods such as wholegrains and legumes. White beans are a legume that have versatility, the power to satisfy and a rich culinary heritage.

 

Two common types of white bean are cannellini (or white kidney) beans, or butter (or lima) beans (Phaseolus lunatis) and they are both part of the legume family, Fabaceae. Butter beans are larger, flat and creamy while the cannellini is smaller and better at holding their shape.  All grow inside green pods, mostly on vines. Depending on where you live, you can buy them dried and/or canned for convenience. There are other white bean varieties as well, but for this article I’ll call them all white beans.

 

Today, all legumes are praised for their excellent nutrition profile, however before we knew what a carbohydrate, vitamin or a phytochemical was, these foods formed an important part of cuisines and cultures around the world, including across the Mediterranean, Europe, Middle East and Latin America. These plant-based cuisines had a smaller impact on the earth but a big impact on the palate. It would be good to explore these cuisines and recipes as a pathway to healthy living, deliciousness and environmental sustainability. And this way of eating is ideal to manage the high cost of living – white beans, or any beans for that matter, are cheap.

 

White beans are highly nutritious (see Nutrition Information below). They’re very high in dietary fibres (soluble, insoluble and resistant starch) for gut health and provide protein, low GI carbohydrates, folate, iron and calcium as well as beneficial phytochemicals such as phenolic acids that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. And some good news for older folks – eating legumes may preserve cognitive function during aging. (3).

 

Using dried white beans is a very economical choice, although it will take you more time (doesn’t it always?). The beans need to be soaked in water overnight before boiling in salted water until tender, for around 1-1.5 hours, depending on the size. You can do this in bulk and freeze in meal-size portions. Or you can save time and buy them cooked in a can, drain and use. Like many legumes, they have useful ‘stealth appeal’: they can be added to dishes in a way that does not loudly announce their presence, which can be useful for the legume hesitant.

 

White beans are great in salads, mashed as a side or pureed in a dip, added to soups (such as Italian Ribollita), smashed on toast, pizza, or in wraps, or in pasta sauce. In stews alone you can eat your way around the world in dishes such as American Succotash, Italian Fagioli all’uccelletto, Greek Fasolada and Gigantes Plaki, Turkish Kuru Fasulye, Middle Eastern Fasioli bi Zeit or Lubia, Persian Khoresh-e Lobia Sefid. Consider white beans a blank canvas on which to create any flavour direction you like using spices, herbs and sauces. 

 

For the sweet-lovers, white beans swing both savoury and sweet. Try a traditional Frijol Colado from Peru; a super healthy variation of dulce de leche made with blended white beans sugar and spices. In Japan, white beans are used to create a sweet paste to fill mochi, sweet buns and layered parfaits. In baking, mashed white beans will simply disappear in brownies, biscuits, cakes, custards, Middle Eastern halva spread or Indian Kheer. Try an online recipe for White Bean Blondies (a kind of white brownie). For simple, everyday fare, add white beans to your usual recipes for a healthy boost. You can even add them to smoothies for a protein and fibre boost.

 

White beans are amazingly healthy and delightfully versatile. We could eat more of them. How will you enjoy yours?