High Protein Beans and How to Use Them
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Beans, pulses, legumes… whatever you call these little devils, they are nutrient powerhouses: full of fiber, slow-burning complex carbohydrates, and of course, protein!
Beans are an important source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. Ever wonder which bean packs the most protein punch? Here’s a list of 20 common beans ranked by protein content. Unsurprisingly, soybeans are the mother-load of protein, with a whopping 29 grams of protein in 1 cup of cooked beans (soybeans are also the fattiest, with more than 15 grams of fat in that cup o’ beans, but it’s good omega-3 and -6 fat, so worries be gone!).
| Bean | Calories | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Gram Amount (g) |
|
| 1 | Soybeans | 298 | 29 |
15
|
17.1 | 172 |
| 2 | Lentils | 230 | 18 |
1
|
39.9 | 198 |
| 3 | White beans | 249 | 17 |
1
|
44.9 | 179 |
| 4 | Adzuki Beans | 294 | 17 |
0
|
57 | 230 |
| 5 | Split peas | 231 | 16 |
1
|
41.4 | 196 |
| 6 | Yellow beans | 255 | 16 |
2
|
44.7 | 177 |
| 7 | Small white beans | 254 | 16 |
1
|
46.2 | 179 |
| 8 | Pinto Beans | 245 | 15 |
1
|
44.8 | 171 |
| 9 | Kidney Beans | 225 | 15 |
1
|
40.4 | 177 |
| 10 | Pink beans | 252 | 15 |
1
|
47.2 | 169 |
| 11 | Black beans | 227 | 15 |
1
|
40.8 | 172 |
| 12 | Navy Beans | 255 | 15 |
1
|
47.4 | 182 |
| 13 | Great Northern Beans | 209 | 15 |
1
|
37.3 | 177 |
| 14 | Lima Beans | 216 | 15 |
1
|
39.3 | 188 |
| 15 | Chickpeas | 269 | 15 |
4
|
45 | 164 |
| 16 | Mung Beans | 212 | 14 |
1
|
38.7 | 202 |
| 17 | Blackeye Peas | 200 | 13 |
1
|
35.7 | 172 |
| 18 | Broad Beans | 187 | 13 |
1
|
33.4 | 170 |
| 19 | French beans | 228 | 12 |
1
|
42.5 | 177 |
| 20 | Green Peas | 134 | 9 |
0
|
25 | 160 |
I’m happy to see my beloved lentils so high on the list!
Now you might be thinkng: So many beans, so little clue what to do with them…
The great thing about beans is that they’re pretty yummy as is, with the appropriate application of salt or vegetable broth. You can make a complete, satisfying meal with little more than beans, rice, and a vegetable. Happy day for vegans! There’s something warm and comforting about these simple meals. Here are my favorite combinations:
7 Easy Healthy Bean Meals
Black Beans and Rice - Heat up your beans, cook some rice, bam: insta-meal. Optional: add a chopped chile to the cooked beans, then top with chopped tomato, cilantro, and/or avocado. Serve with an ear of sweet corm. Die happy.
Refried beans, rice, greens - It’s easy to make refried beans from cooked pinto or black beans. But if you can’t be bothered, just buy a tin of ready-made refried beans. Kick it up with some stir-fried onion. This stuff is great with steamed chard or kale. Though not particularly healthy, Mexican Rice is beautiful with refried beans. You only live once, right?
Lentils in a Squash Bowl - I discovered this today and it was delicious. I cut an acorn squash in half and put it in the oven to roast. In the meantime, I cooked some puy lentils in broth. When everything was done, I ate the lentils out of the hollowed-out acorn squash “bowl”. Super-cali-yummy-licious!
Black bean tacos - all you need for a rockin’ taco are black beans, tortilla, avocado, and tomato. Get some good salsa and you’re golden.
Lentil Dal, basmati rice, steamed spinach - Dal requires a little more effort, but it’s so worth it. Dal stands on it’s own, but gets better with a side of basmati rice or roti and a bit of steamed spinach. Here’s a quick dal recipe that I’ve been using lately.
Pasta e Fagioli - Very similar to minestrone soup. At its simplest, pasta fagioli contains white beans, salt, pepper, olive oil, rosemary, parsley and broken pasta. I use a recipe from John Thorne’s Simple Cooking which also incorporates onion, garlic, celery, tomatoes and a parmesan rind, simmered during the cooking process. This recipe is quite similar.
Beans + Grains + Vegetable - Try any combo, and don’t forget the salt and pepper. Lentils and quinoa, chickpeas and bulgar wheat, kidney beans and barley, black beans and polenta… sky’s the limit.
Want more? Check out these beany sites:
Cooking with dry beans - You don’t need no stinking cans. Enjoy tastier, more tender beans and save money at the same time!
Beans Defined - Pictures and descriptions on foodsubs.com
Beans and grains cooking charts - handy chart of measurements and cooking times
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