Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...

…the more you eat the more you toot.

I think I really dislike this saying for two good reasons: one, are beans actually a fruit? And two, I hate the word toot!

Despite my personal disapprovals, I found that legumes ARE in fact the dried fruit/seed of a leguminous plant in the leguminosae family, which includes peas, beans, alfalfa, soybeans, and lentils. However, they are used as vegetables in the fresh form.

What do ya know—I learned something too! But back to a more serious topic: beans and farts.

I think the association of beans with farting is what drives people away from eating them. Don’t worry, Food Yourself to the rescue—I have a solution!

De-farting Dry Beans

When using dry legumes, most people re-hydrate them by soaking them in water overnight. It’s also common to use the same soaking water to cook the beans, since they’ll absorb more water, cook faster and retain most of the nutrients. However, lurking in that water are carbohydrates undigestible by the human body. Instead, microorganisms in our gut take over digestion, where a byproduct is, you guessed it—farts! So throw away that water and use a fresh batch when cooking your beans.

De-farting Canned Beans

I’m not sure how canned beans are prepared, but if I had to guess, I’d assume the food industry uses the ‘same water’ method too. So to be on the safe side, make Beano your new canned bean best friend. Also, please rinse them before eating since you’ll be able to wash away most of the salt originally used for preservation.

Some more beany facts: with the exception of soybeans and peanuts, legumes are low in fat, and moderately high in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein. Moreover, legumes are a good source of iron, phosphorus, and B vitamins especially thiamine.

Check out Food Yourself’s last post regarding portion sizes for legumes.

This post is dedicated to my cousin who needs all the help she can get when it comes to farting – Happy Birthday!

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Image courtesy of EllaOlsson