Protein on the cheap

We have been working on this "clean eating" thing for quite a few years now, and I think it's safe to say that eating nutritiously costs more. It's a sad fact, but in my opinion it's a worthy expense to spring for a few pounds of apples versus a 14-pack of Snickers bars.

But there is one food staple that can give you tons of good protein on the cheap: dried beans.

I've been using canned beans for convenience for quite awhile now. They are just simple and fast, and relatively inexpensive. But one day I was perusing the dried beans and saw that a bag cost less than a can. I was interested to see how much a bag would make. Here's what I found:

The can is pinto beans and the baggies are chickpeas, but you get the idea.

One can (approximately a cup and a half) of beans: about 99 cents.
One bag of beans (yielded six cups): about 89 cents.

And the best part? The beans I cooked taste better than the canned beans.

After that little experiment, I was sold on bagged beans. I decided that I'd commit to making large batches of beans to store in the freezer. Today I cooked two bags of chickpeas and a large bag of black beans.

Investment: about four bucks. Yield: 21 cups of beans.

Beans are a tremendous source of protein that are full of fiber, water, and antioxidants. And they have no saturated fat to clog your arteries.

Three ounces of chicken has roughly 21 grams of protein. To get the equivalent amount of protein in black beans you would need to eat about 1 1/3 cups.

Here's the other good news about cooking your own beans: pre-soaking them reduces the flatulence factor! Apparently soaking the beans allows the beans to release enzymes that break down complex sugars into simple sugars, and since it's the complex sugars that are responsible for gas, then the soaked beans are less likely to give you the toots.

I have really grown to like beans in the past year or so. I'll eat those chickpeas up there out of the sack like they're a snack food (as will Drew).

Check out my "Recipes" label on the right to find plenty of bean recipes. Here is how I prepare my beans from the bag:

- Remove beans from bag and remove any duds/stones/crazy lookin' ones.
- Soak them overnight or at least for a few hours in a big bowl. Put lots of water in the bowl because the beans will soak it up.
- Strain beans and rinse with more water.
- Put beans in a large pot with water about 3 inches above beans and some seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder...whatever you like. You could even dice some onions or peppers in there if you like the spice.
- Bring beans to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for around an hour and test the tenderness.
- Remove the beans from the stove and strain the water.
- Wait for them to cool and then place in freezer bags in 1 1/2 cup increments.
- Freeze 'em up!

These beans thaw pretty quickly so they're available to use on salads, for hummus, or for whatever you're fixing that day. Try it out! Your waistline and checking account will look better for it.

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