NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — How do you like your black beans? In chili? On rice? Or as a side dish to tacos and enchiladas?
However you eat 'em, here's what to look for when you're shopping for them.
Cooking dried beans is easy, but requires a little planning because they need to be soaked overnight. Canned beans can help you get a healthy meal on the table fast! Just be aware they contain more sodium than dried.
Consumer Reports tested six different brands of canned black beans and a half cup contained up to 450 mg of sodium. That’s about 20 percent of the maximum 2,300 mg you should have in a day.
And with nearly half of adults in the US suffering from hypertension, it’s important to do this extra step.
“On average, sodium levels can drop by about 40 to 50 percent, after rinsing beans for 30 seconds," Consumer Reports' Amy Keating.
Goya Black Beans and La Preferida were the top picks for their texture and flavor.
If you prefer low sodium, Eden Organic No Salt Added Black Beans are a good option that’s packaged with bits of seaweed instead of salt. Bush's Black Beans were another good choice, but Iberia Black Beans turned out to be a turnoff for their tough chewy skins and overly firm texture.
Another reason to love beans, they are a protein AND a vegetable! So not only are they a good source of protein, you get about seven grams of fiber in half a cup.
It's has been a dry spring for us. Nashville is over 6 inches below normal for rainfall for the year with Clarksville over a 9 inches deficit. Kim Rafferty went to a nursery to get a couple of tips that may be useful for you.
- Lelan Statom
