Baked beans good for you?

Are tinned baked beans good for you??? Recently became a fan, and would like to know if they're good for you? Got to be better than a greasy bacon sandwich whick happen to be my downfall :(

They probably have lots of sodium (like most anything canned) and they may be high in sugar too.  But they're definitely better than the greasy bacon sandwich.  Beans are a great weight loss food.

Thank you for your reply. Ah, beans albeit not the best choice certainly better than my other options. So a slightly better alternative :)

If you have the time, making your own will be the best bet!

They are actually one of the 'top 10 super foods'. So this article says. :)

Well rach1 that certainly is good to hear! beans onwards then :)

healthybmi - i'm a little lazy, so baked beans from a tin will do for now. i'm not exactly adventurous :/

Wow....something i have stayed away from because of the high sodium content. Thanks for setting me straight.  Now i can have something that i used to enjoy and not feel so bad about it.

Rach1.....thanks for sharing that article....it was a great read and a source of info!  I just had to print it and send it to some other friends

My pleasure. :)

beans are super high in fibre too! YUM!

I LOVE BAKED BEANS!!!

they are gorrrrggeous on a heated jacket potato...with melted cheddar....

How much are you eating?  Sure, if you stick to the 1/2 cup suggested, I suppose you'd be alright, but that 1/2 cup has 140 calories, 11g of sugar, 550mg of sodium in it!

You'd be better off with black beans or kidney beans.

Also, remember that your body has a memory and to repeatedly eat the same things, your body will not process at optimum, because it remembers the food you eat and doesn't have to work as hard when you eat the same foods over and over. 

And, by eating the same things, especially from a can, are you really learning anything about diet?  In order to have a successful weight loss plan, you need to learn how to eat differently.  This is why people who go on the atkins diet, or some other diet where they eat the same things, often do gain the weight back and then some...simply because while they were on their weight loss plan, they really didn't learn how to eat differently and once going back to normal eating, they immediately gained weight.

Anyway...it's just my 2 cents

Good luck!

Robbyn

A 1/2 cup of beans is actually a lot and very filling.  Anyhow,

"And, by eating the same things, especially from a can, are you really learning anything about diet?  In order to have a successful weight loss plan, you need to learn how to eat differently."

 

The OP already stated that this a type of compromise from her bacon sandwich which I think we can agree is less nutritious and beneficial.  Easing into healthy choices is important for those of us who have been eating junky for so long.  Perhaps, after eating canned baked beans for a while, the OP can dabble into recipes from plain canned beans and eventually bean recipes from scratch. 

I buy canned pintos, drain the liquid and then simmer them in tomatoes and green chiles.  I cook various meats separately and so I can  choose when I want to have "chili beans" or just beans as a side dish.  I also enjoy low fat refried beans heated with cheese and salsa as a side dish or a bean dip. 

I think a good idea for almost homemade baked beans is to heat up pintos with tomatoes and then sprinkle a tiny amount of bacon in it.  Oscar Meyer sells cooked bacon, one serving is 25 calories.  You just use it for flavor. 

I just love baked beans, excellent food. I used to be a bit wary of canned products but I find that they aren't as bad as I thought. I like them because they are easy to store and quite handy when planning lunch. I especially love the canned soups from Heinz. They have been one of my main diet foods. Heinz try to keep their products low in salt and sugar. The best thing is that they are fairly low in calories and if you are counting this is very useful.

It is true that you have to watch the sugar and salt content but on the whole most of the products are within reasonable levels. You just have to ensure that you do not exceed your daily recommended limits.

Beans are particular favourites because you can eat them hot or cold, on toast or in a jacket potato and many other such combinations.

Of course nothing beats freshly prepared healthy meals but then you can't always do that.

Thanks for super foods the list Rach1!

check the sugar on your baked beans and make sure there's no high fructose corn syrup in there.

high fructose corn syrup is not any worse for you than any other type of sugar in excess.  Anyway, while plain beans are a better option, the sugar in baked beans does not nullify the bean's health benefits.

I think that about 50% of the people who say "oh, watch out for the high fructose corn syrup" couldn't even explain to you why it's bad... I'm not saying it's good, but you've got to have better reasons for avoiding something than "because that's what everyone else says"... seriously

I think high fructose corn syrup like splenda in that it messes with the body's ability to recognize being satisfied.  Not good when you are trying to lose weight.

I got thinking today..does anyone know anyway I could make my own baked beans using canned, drained rinsed beans and some sugar free syrup maybe for the sweetness?? Any ideas?