Meatless Monday

Beans are an excellent substitution to make your meatless meals packed with protein, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals.  Black beans in particular have shown to improve digestive health and lower risks of colon cancer (1). This is due mainly to their indigestible fraction (IF)- the part of food that is not digested or absorbed in the small intestine but rather goes to the colon.  Here, it serves as a substrate to help form the protective bacteria in the colon known as fermentative microflora (2). For black beans, the IF allows for the production of  butyric acid. The serves as fuel for the cells lining the inside of the colon to help keep the lower digestive tract functioning properly (1).

Black beans also back an abundances of antioxidants and phytonutrients, two compounds help protect against various cancers and inflammation.  In just one cup of cooked black beans, (1/2 cup dry) you can meet 1/3 of the daily value (DV) for protein and 2/3 of the Daily Value (DV) for folate, one of the most important B vitamins for decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease (3).  

So swap out beans for meat in a variety of your favorite dishes to pack in extra nutrition while cutting back on calories and saturated fat.  In addition to the recipe listed below, you can try substituting beans in almost any Mexican entree, or in soups such as Vegetarian Chili. 

Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 3/4 cup chopped onion 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (8-ounce) package seitan (wheat gluten), finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 taco shells
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, oregano, garlic, and jalapeño; cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in sherry, soy sauce, beans, and seitan; bring to a boil. Cook 7 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Sprinkle with black pepper.
2. Prepare taco shells according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into each shell; top each taco with about 2 1/2 tablespoons lettuce and about 2 1/2 tablespoons Avocado Salsa.

Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped tomato $
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro $
• 1/2 cup chopped peeled avocado $
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion $
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice $
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Nutritional Information:

Serving: 2 tacos 
(Totals include Avocado Salsa)

• Calories: 283
• Fat: 9.3g
• Saturated fat: 1.2g
• Protein: 20.4g
• Carbohydrate: 30g
• Fiber: 7.6g
• Cholesterol: 0.0mg
• Iron: 2.8mg
• Sodium: 792mg
• Calcium: 58mg

*Recipe taken from Cooking Light 

1. Hernández-Salazar M, Osorio-Diaz P, Loarca-Piña G et al. In vitro fermentability and antioxidant capacity of the indigestible fraction of cooked black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), lentils (Lens culinaris L.) and chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.). J Sci Food Agric. 2010 Jul;90(9):1417-22. 2010.

2. Saura-Calixto, F. & Goni, I. (2004). The intake of dietary indigestable fraction in the Spanish diet shows the limitations of dietary fiber data for nutritional studies. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 58(7), 1078-1082. shows the limitations of dietary fibre data for nutritional studies.

3. Zhou, Y., Tang, J., Wu, M., Lu, J., Wei, X., Qin, Y., Wang, C., & Xu, J. (2011). Effect of folic acid supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 6(9), e25142.