Black Beans Nutrition and Recipes

Black beans can always be part of your diet – you can add these legumes to your diet whether you are following a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian diet. You can find these legumes dried or canned, and enjoy some amazing health benefits. A look at the nutrition of black beans shows that they are loaded with fiber, protein, antioxidants and other micronutrients, which is the reason why you should consider including them in your diet.

Black Beans Nutrition Facts and Benefits

You can include black beans in your diet no matter what your fitness goals are. These beans are packed with some essential nutrients that help keep you fit and offer a number of health benefits.

1. You Get Fewer Calories

You can always include black beans in your weight loss diet because they do not provide you with so many calories, especially when you consider how filling they are. You get about 113 calories from a half cup (86g) serving of cooked black beans.

2. You Get Fiber and Carbs

In terms of black beans nutrition, black beans are rich in fiber and carbs. You can add them to your salad and increase your intake of fiber. You get about 7g of fiber with 20g of carbs from a half cup serving of cooked black beans. The carbs you get from black beans help provide you with energy to fuel body functions. Moreover, increasing your intake of fiber not only helps you lose and maintain healthy weight, but it also protects you against cardiovascular disease.  

3. You Get Protein and Little Fat

Yet another reason to include black beans in your weight loss diet is that they provide you with loads of protein without increasing your fat intake. A half cup of cooked black beans provides you with a gram of fat and 8g of protein. Be sure to include other grains and veggies in your diet to get all the essential amino acids.

4. You Get Micronutrients for Better Health

A cup of black beans provides you with 3.6mg of iron, which helps prevent iron-deficiency anemia. At the same time, you get about 46mg of calcium and 611mg of potassium from a cup of black beans. Your body needs potassium to regulate heart rate and blood pressure, whereas calcium is important for stronger bones and teeth. You can also get zinc, folate, and phosphorous by including black beans in your diet.

5. You Get More Antioxidants

For better health, you also need to increase your intake of antioxidants because they help eliminate free radical from your body and prevent oxidative damage to cells. By checking black beans nutrition facts, you will know that they provide you with the same level of antioxidants that you get from grapes, apples, and cranberries. These antioxidants significantly lower your risk of cancer and heart disease.

Ways to Include Black Beans to Your Diet

You can easily find black beans in grocery stores – they are available dried and canned. They are among the best vegetable sources of protein and have a meaty texture that makes them work in most of your recipes.

  • In case you are buying canned black beans, you should pay attention to the label first. Opt for the one that do not have added sodium. Moreover, you should always take special care when preparing dried black beans because they may contain small rocks or other debris.
  • Simply soak them in water for 8-10 hours before cooking to get them in perfect condition. Moreover, soaking dried legumes makes sense because it not only reduces cooking time but also lowers risk of gastrointestinal distress.

Here are some interesting ways to prepare black beans and enjoy black beans nutrition benefits:

1. Baked Black Bean Taquitos

  • Start by sautéing minced garlic in oil – use olive oil for this purpose.
  • Add rinsed black beans to it and cook until soft.
  • Stir in a couple of canned chipotle chiles (chopped) in adobo sauce and shredded Monterey Jack.
  • Now, roll up the mixture in corn tortillas and place on a baking sheet with seam side down.
  • Pick 350 degrees and bake the tortillas until they become crisp.
  • Now, stir a bit of adobo sauce, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, and Greek yogurt for a dipping sauce.

2. Black Bean and Shrimp Salad

  • Start by sautéing peeled shrimp. Stir until it becomes pink.
  • Whisk together fresh lemon juice and olive oil – use three parts of olive oil and 1 part of lemon juice. Also, add some honey for flavor.
  • Get a salad-serving bowl and place shredded romaine lettuce in it. Used rinsed black beans, freshly grated parmesan, and toasted almond slices as toppings.
  • Now, add the cooked shrimp to the bowl and drizzle with dressing.

3. Black Bean Tostadas

  • Take some olive oil and sauté black beans along with onion.
  • Season it with coriander and cumin while cooking.
  • Now, toast a corn tortilla on one side – add some shredded Monterey Jack as well.
  • Keep cooking until the cheese has melted completely. Ensure that the bottom of the corn tortilla has toasted completely.
  • Now, add the refried beans along with sour cream, iceberg lettuce, salsa, and guacamole.
  • Enjoy the black beans nutrition with this excellent recipe!

4. Black Beans and Chicken Salsa Soup

  • Take a saucepan and empty a jar of salsa into it. Heat it.
  • Now, add rinsed black beans along with shredded rotisserie chicken.
  • Add water to ensure that the chicken and beans are immersed in it.
  • Add some fresh lime juice for taste and start heating.
  • Serve with avocado slices, tortilla chips, and sour cream.

5. Mediterranean Black Bean Crostini

  • Take diced cucumber, rinsed and lightly mashed black beans, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and combine them well.
  • Now, add chopped fresh oregano, ground black pepper, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, sliced scallions, kosher salt, and olive oil.
  • Leave it in the refrigerator overnight and then toast baguette slices.
  • Spread goat cheese over slices and apply the black bean mixture on it. Sprinkle some kosher salt before serving.
 
 
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