Help!! beans
Posted by Anonymous on Jul 10, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
my mom says I have to either eat meat like a normal person, eat what she calls soy "stuff" (fake meat), or beans
she is worried about protein
option 1 is definitely out
option 2 yah i bought it to try them chik'n nuggets and strips but i don't like the texture like eating an animal it weirds me out ya know
option 3 i can eat beans in like those premixed vegi soups (bobs mill) and trader joes harvest grain blend (couscous, garbanzos, etc) but other than that beans have never appealed to me
i need some suggestions on how to hide some beans in my food or other great protein sources
Hummus :D I'm eating it now for supper with some raw veggies & wheat crackers.
Personally, I prefer beans. I really don't like the fake meat, I do like tofu but try not to eat too much. I do eat a LOT of chickpeas....I love 'em :D Besides the hummus, I eat a lot of Chana Masala :D & Chickpea Salad Sandwiches :D Falafel is amazing too.
How about baked beans? Everybody likes baked beans.
Black beans are good, either in a salad, Enchiladas or black bean burgers
Chili with different kinds of beans.
Lentils!!! OMG, yes Lentils :D Pakistani Dahl or Injudra
look at the recipe section under 'beans & legumes' there's tons of creative recipes in there. i like to just throw some black beans in a tortilla with some salsa & avacado for a quick meal. also, maybe try some of those soy protein powder shake mixes, i know i've had the chocolate flavor & it was pretty good.. just throw some in some soymilk and shake it up. peanut butter is always a good stanby too.
Many are unaware that we dont need as much protein as some say we do...your main goal should be to eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables.
What about dishes with pureed beans, like hummus (or another kind of dip or spread) or a thick pureed soup? How about something like this:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=9649.0
Or this (you can mash up the beans):
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5911.0
This is my recipe, and it uses pureed beans:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=13613.0
Do you like beans in bean burritos or enchiladas? If so, try this:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5980.0
This is a really good recipe out of Recipes From an Ecological Kitchen by Lorna Sass (one of my favorite veg cookbooks) that is mostly beans and delectable. I like to add steamed chopped green leafy vegetables and serve it warmed over rice or pasta. I like to add considerably more liquid than called for, but that's up to you:
1.5 cups cooked white beans
2 large cloves roasted garlic or 1 small clove of raw garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 cup (or more) broth or water
Freshly ground pepper
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor, adding enough liquid to blend until completely smooth.
I second the falafel, hummus, chana masala and chickpea sandwich spread suggestion. Try cooking beans from scratch, you may like the flavor better. Store bought are often mushy and high in salt. Chili, soups and shepherd's pie are also good cover dishes for beans. Refried for burritos or enchiladas they have a different texture. Don't forget our friend the lentil.
Where I live, white beans called Ibis are cooked with spices and deep fried in pockets of masa (the stuff corn tortillas are made from) then served with shredded lime cabbage and a spicy tomato sauce. Yummy Mayan take-out.
I'm going to cast my vote for hummus too! It is just so darn yummy and it comes in lots of differnt flavors, is reasonably inexpensive and tastes great on pita bread, vegi's and anything else!!!
Make then into spreads or dips. White beans I think are very good as a soup with a tomato base served cold also it's out of this world I think. Lentils are pretty good served as a lentil soup with lots and lots of garlic really thick.
And if you don't wish to do that make the beans into burgers.
Pasta also has alot of protein in it to.
i couldnt eat fake meat when i went vegetarian either! BLEGH! it was gross. now 8 years later, ill eat it when i have the money.
maybe this will help with explaining to your mom! http://www.soystache.com/plant.htm#Source
Here you are, the best website I know for calculating your protein needs. Hopefully, this will help your mom relax a bit.
http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html
According to this, I need 67 grams of protein, but I can't move if I eat that much. I shoot for 50, concentrate on loads of fruits and veggies (like omnis SHOULD but rarely do) and eat whole grains with legumes (beans).
If you read what the doctors are saying now about food, you need 5 to 10 servings of fruits and/of veggies day for colon health, to reduce breast cancer, prostate cancer, and to keep weight down into the healthy range. That 5 to 10 servings is 4 to 8 CUPS of vegetable matter a day and I'd like to know how/why this would be bad? Hardly have room for much else. You need protein, but the idea that your diet needs to be mostly protein is INCORRECT and even dangerous.
Ohhh and I'll bet you need to know this: High protein diets are hard on your kidneys, but they also leach calcium from your bones over time, making them brittle. There are countries where no dairy products are consumed and the diet is low in protein, but women there don't suffer from osteoporosis as they do in the west where meat and dairy rule.
Mom just wants what is best for you and providing her with the right information so she can help you make good choices seems quite reasonable. I hope we have been helpful and do check out recipes from this site.
I vote for hummus and chickpea salad sandwiche spread too. Although the first time I made the chickpeas salad spread it kind of wierded me out because the chickpeas almost smelled like tuna after I put them in the food processor. When I make the chickpea salad spread I throw celery, onion, frozen peas, frozen corn and relish in there. Those additions would be an easy way to "camoflauge" the bean taste/texture since you don't like them. I don't have a problem with it, I just like to add different veggies in my food.
I vote for hummus and chickpea salad sandwiche spread too. Although the first time I made the chickpeas salad spread it kind of wierded me out because the chickpeas almost smelled like tuna after I put them in the food processor. When I make the chickpea salad spread I throw celery, onion, frozen peas, frozen corn and relish in there. Those additions would be an easy way to "camoflauge" the bean taste/texture since you don't like them. I don't have a problem with it, I just like to add different veggies in my food.
chickpeas/garbanzo beans are the only beans my boyfriend will eat. he says 'theyre not beans, theyre peas." i categorize them as beans, but i know a couple people who despise beans but love chickpeas if cooked well.
I also do a take on the chickpea salad using a mix of black/kidney beans, corn, onions, cumin and chili powder. I don't use it so much as a sandwiche spread but more as a dip for chips. There are so many things you can use beans for.
I do agree with Baypuppy on the meat alternatives. I'd try them again, maybe a different brand. I don't find that the texture is at all like I remember meat to be.