The kidney bean is eaten all over the world. In the Netherlands it is an important winter food. Kidney beans do not actually fall into the vegetable category. It is a legume and a seed for a new plant. The kidney bean is an educational tool for many teachers; In schools, students are taught what germinating the kidney bean is. The kidney bean is a very healthy natural product. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Legumes
• No vegetables
• Bartje didn’t like them
• Mineral-rich legume
• Phytonutrients in kidney beans
• Protein-rich foods
• Good for the diabetic
• Against cancer and more
• Against anemia and obesity
• What diseases is the kidney bean beneficial against?
• Boil them until sprouted
• Eating tips for brown beans

Legumes

Kidney beans are legumes that are a good basis for a healthy meal. Legumes contain a lot of proteins. Legumes such as peas, chickpeas and kidney beans are the best meat substitutes.

No vegetables

Legumes are not actually vegetables, although most people consider them one. Officially, legumes belong to the legume family. Their seeds are called legumes. The dried seeds are cooked and eaten. The seed casings of fresh legumes such as snow peas, broad beans and string beans are also eaten.

Bartje didn’t like them

Brown beans are a typical Dutch meal. According to one story, Bartje didn’t want brown beans; he didn’t like them. Maybe his kidney beans were cooked too long, which can make vegetables less tasty. The brown bean dish is traditionally a winter dish because the legumes can be stored so well in the winter. Kidney beans belong to the ‘common bean’, the Phaseolus vulgaris. In Suriname people like to eat BB with R, or brown beans with rice.

Mineral-rich legume

The kidney bean contains a lot of calcium and iron. These are the only minerals that the kidney bean contains. It also contains a little vitamin B1 and B2. The kidney bean is very rich in carbohydrates and proteins, making it an excellent meat substitute. Furthermore, the kidney bean contains the amino acid methionine.Source: Rasbak, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Phytonutrients in kidney beans

There are many phytonutrients in the kidney bean. Quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin are the most common substances. These have an antioxidant effect and are a good addition to the ‘conventional’ antioxidants such as natural vitamins A, C and E for the body.

Protein-rich foods

In combination with whole grains, nuts, seeds, tempeh and tofu, legumes such as kidney beans can excellently replace meat in terms of protein. All things considered, a varied range of plant-based products is much more nutritious than meat.

Good for the diabetic

Kidney beans, like all other legumes, are super healthy. The three most important lifestyle diseases and biggest causes of death, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, are prevented by regularly eating beans. Legumes such as kidney beans contain a lot of fiber. The fibers from kidney beans and other legumes ensure that food is better digested. In other words: the nutrients are extracted from the food more efficiently.

Against cancer and more

The fibers that digest food better directly help the diabetic because energy is absorbed more evenly into the blood, resulting in fewer fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The fact that legumes also help other foods to be digested better means that all kinds of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients are better absorbed into the body to perform their functions. Many vitamins and phytonutrients have an anti-inflammatory effect. Inflammation at the cellular level can lead to heart disease and cancer. The kidney bean is very good for the heart and helps prevent cancer. In fact, everyone should eat 50 to 100 grams of legumes daily in addition to the daily recommended 200 grams of vegetables.

Against anemia and obesity

Legumes provide iron, which allows you to absorb more oxygen into your blood and make you feel tired less quickly. Iron also ensures that more nutrients can be transported through the blood. Legumes give a feeling of fullness while having a low calorie content. Snack cravings are reduced by eating legumes. This helps prevent obesity.

What diseases is the kidney bean beneficial against?

Kidney beans are good for:

• Blockage,
• diabetes,
• Cancer,
• Heart and vascular disease,
• Obesity,
• Iron deficiency anemia.

Boil them until sprouted

When kidney beans are a lot younger, they can be sold as green beans and string beans. If they are fresh, the cooking time is only a few minutes. Traditionally, brown beans in the Netherlands are soaked for 8 hours and boiled for an hour. However, that is far too long. You can soak them a little longer and cook them a little shorter. In principle, you can cook them very briefly once they have just germinated. The longer you cook a kidney bean, the more pungent the smell and taste becomes and the less nutritional value it contains.

Eating tips for brown beans

Kidney beans can be used in a one-pan dish. To do this, fry cooked brown beans together with an onion, pepper and a few other vegetables. You can process them into puree. Brown bean soup is a well-known meal. What is less known is that you can use brown beans in a salad when they are cooked. Mix a handful of cooked beans with a green salad to give the whole a more filling character and to transform it into a meal salad. You can also use beans as a base for a salad, for example with quinoa or brown rice. You can then add corn, cucumber, tomato and coriander.

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