Got Beans? Not only are beans a great source of plant protein they are inexpensive, have a long shelf-life, contain a variety of vitamins, minerals anther nutrients with only a moderate number of calories. Beans are high in fiber and low in fat. A ½-cup serving of cooked beans provides 7-10 grams of protein, a great way to increase the amount of plant protein you’re consuming.
Because of all this good stuff, it’s recommended that we should be eating about three cups of legumes (including beans) each week. Are people following this advice? Nope. Most American’s don’t even eat one cup a week.
You can probably guess why. There is a problem with beans. They have a bad reputation for causing bloating and gas. This is caused by indigestible carbohydrates found in beans.
Recently I found several interesting articles by Dr. Caroline Dunn RD.LDN. in the Eat Smart Move More Prevent Diabetes blog on the subject of beans and gas. Dr. Dunn is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emerita at NC State. She’s written about this topic several times in the past ten years. (It’s interesting to note that these are some of the most frequently read posts in the blog---so obviously people have this problem and are looking for answers.)
In her first article she offered these suggestions for how to keep the beans and decrease the gas.
Go slow – add beans slowly into your diet. Start with just a few tablespoons and build up. Drink more water each day as you eat more beans (or other fiber-containing foods).
Soak well and rinse well.
If you are using dried beans soak for 48 hours and drain and rinse well before cooking. The longer beans soak, the more the amounts of the gas- producing compounds will be reduced. Many of the gas-causing carbohydrates are released into this soaking water. Use fresh water for cooking, not the soaking liquid. If you are using canned beans, rinse well.
Cook beans until very soft. Cooking well-done until very soft can help with decreasing gas production as well. Even canned beans can be cooked more prior to serving.
Chew – eat slowly and chew each bite well.
These tips still work. When she wrote about this topic a couple years later, she suggested adding specific spices to the beans when cooking. These are epazote (from Mexico) and ajwain (from India). Many people swear by them. Both decrease gas production. Just add about a tablespoon to a large pot of beans during the cooking process.
More recently Dunn has an even better suggestion. After some additional research, she wrote a post recommending adding hing (also called asafoetida) to beans. She now uses hing exclusively when cooking any beans or legumes and says it really works and is far superior to epazote for the gas issue.
Never heard of hing? Neither had I. Hing is a spice of east Asian origin. It comes from the leaves of giant fennel plants. Don’t be turned off by its pungent odor. It smells so bad that you might not want to use it, but Dunn says trust her, it doesn’t taste like it smells. She says it has a mild onion and garlic taste that goes great with beans and legumes.
Hing inhibits the fermentation of the undigestible carbohydrate found in beans. It is this fermentation in the gut that causes gas. It also relaxes the muscles in the intestine which reduces bloating. Once this fermentation is stopped or at least slowed and the intestines are a bit relaxed, your body can handle the digestion of beans and legumes much easier. Thus, experiencing no, or greatly reduced, gas.
She uses about ¼ to ½ teaspoons for two cans of beans. Rinse the beans well and cover with fresh water. Add the hing and cook on medium for about 30 minutes. Then drain and use as you need in recipes or eat as is. Hing can also be added to the pot when cooking dried beans. You can get hing at most Asian markets or online.
You can read all of Dr. Dunn’s articles at the Eat Smart, Move More Prevent Diabetes website ESMMpreventdiabetes.com). Just click on the blog. Lots of options here. What are you waiting for? Eat some beans.
References:
How to Avoid Gas when Eating Legumes and Beans
Brunswick County Center Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or clsyracu@ncsu.edu
