Canned beans??????

Canned beans and weight loss----does this work?

there is no food that aids weight loss. All you have to do is log your food and keep within your caloric allowance for the day.

That said, beans are an excellent source of protein, complex carbs and fiber.  They are very, very good for you.

If you use canned beans, watch out for excess sodium!  I get the Whole Foods Market store brand of no salt added beans.  Eden Foods also makes them, but they are expensive.

I also cook dry beans from scratch.  If you're interested, you have only to ask.

Do you know an easy way to cook beans?

I like to use a slow cooker/crock pot when cooking them dry, usually the directions are on the bag

I've been doing the canned beans thing myself.  Rinsing them thoroughly in cold water can help reduce sodium by about a third.  The nice thing about canned beans, as opposed to most canned veggies, is that beans don't lose much nutritional content during the canning process.

Clairelaine - if you don't mind my jumping in, I'd be interesting in some pointers on preparing dried beans.

dietdemon,

I eat a can a day with some chopped onions a little wine red vineger and hotsauce.  I get made fun of at work because I eat them every day with a small wrap.  I love them and they are good for you too.  I like garbanzo, kiddney, cannallini, black beans, white beans.

Dried beans are best if you can soak them overnight.  They'll soften and absorb a lot of the water, reducing the cooking time significantly.  Another alternative is to use a pressure cooker, as it only takes about 20 minutes to cook them even if you forgot to soak them (which I frequently do).  I usually cook 1 cup of beans in 1 1/2 cups of water (or broth) ... be careful of the water content if you use a pressure cooker as the beans can get mushy if you use too much water.

Love my beans!  Today for lunch I'm having chhole, which is curried chickpeas made with onions, tomatoes, fresh ginger, and loads of indian spices.

Beans are a great food for weight loss if you have good portion control. If you were to go overboard with tomatoes, I doubt you could eat more than 150 calories worth. Beans, on the other hand, are very calorie-heavy if you overeat them. Just be sure to measure!

As for canned vs. dry, I heard that dry beans lose more nutrients than canned beans in the process. Personally, I go with canned because they're so convenient. But both are very healthy, very cheap options!

Tx for all the suggestions! Im shoppin 4 beans tomorrow :)

Any nice salad ideas with beans OR side dishes(preferably not comple carbs)

Tx:) 

That sounds delicious!  I use my crock pot and cook them all day while I'm at work.  My favorite is to use dried beans with 1/2 the amount of water shown on the bag and the other 1/2 with low sodium broth, then throw in a can of rotel tomatoes and two teaspoons of minced garlic.  Mmmm, mmm, good!

Oh yes, I make a wonderful mediterranean white bean salad!  It would be good with garbanzo beans too.  Just combine some beans, scallions, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, a sprinking of feta cheese, and toss with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper and a dash of italian seasonings (basil, oregano, thyme, whatever you like).  Very tasty!

Oh for crying out loud dietdemons, you are 5'2 and weigh 101 lbs. I think it is great to eat healthy foods but...news flash, you don't need to lose weight!!!