I HATE Beans, but want to eat them...

lwagnitz

I don't eat things I don't like and have taught me sons the same thing. One son, when he was five, kept making faces as he ate asparagus and I told him he didn't have to eat it. "Yes, I do!" he told me. "They're good for me!" Life is too short to eat stuff you don't like. No one food is absolutely essential to health. For example, cruciferous vegetables are good, but some (broccoli) I won't eat and others (cabbage) I will. :-)

It's not like eating beans is going to destroy my self worth or my love of life, lol. My god, it's just beans.

I wasn't taught to not do something just because I didn't like it (and please don't take that in reference to what you said, because it's not), so I guess I just have this mentality to conquer my hatred of beans lol.

I mean, not everyone enjoys running, but they know it's good for them. Hell, for some people, if they could be lazy and eat junk food all day, they'd jump at the chance - hypothetically haha

vicki9168

If you make a dish with any type of minced meat or are making a casserole, replace part of the meat with kidney beans. It will be more obvious that it is there but add chick peas (as you dont mind them) or four bean mixes to a salad.

MzStarrQueenB

bush's baked beans are yummy!











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If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.....

WendyTerry420

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I am cracking up at the title of the thread. It makes you sound like a sadist!

Julicat6

try Crispy Chickpeas..they are oven roasted until Crispy, totally different texture. There are tons of recipes for them. Find one you like and try it. Also if its the mushiness, I find black beans are firmer and tastier. I like beans, in general though. I find Cottage cheese to be a good protein source, you said vegetarian, not vegan Quinoa is pretty yummy too, and has good protein. I hate the texture of plain cottage cheese but have found if I process it until smooth and use it to make stuff or top stuff it's pretty good. Sweet potato topped with cottage cheese(pureed) and cinnamon with a bit of no-cal sweetener or honey is delicious and 1/2 C cottage cheese has about 12 gms of protein in about 100 cals(lowfat kind) I'm not vegetarian, but grew up going to a school that did not serve meat and attending a church that encouraged vegetarian diet. I struggle to get a decent balance of protein, I rarely pack meat for work. I mostly eat it when I have meals with my Husband. I use a protein powder with 25 gms in 140 cals to make smoothies, dips for fruit, to help get enough. My diary is open.

needamulligan

But there are so many varieties! And they are all different! Maybe you just haven't found one you like? Have you tried hummus? That's pureed garbanzo beans/chick peas seasoned in a variety of different ways. Have you been to an Asian market? There are lots of bean paste sweets that may entice you. I will warn you that's really a different (to me wacky) idea for sweets.

Most important, it can take 7 attempts to learn to adjust to something new. If you want to learn to like beans keep trying them!

detkalove

i love white beans in a can, opt for low sodium and u can add some lean ham to it and mix with salad or soup,my 2 years old and i love them

nowine4me

I'm not crazy for beans either. But I eat bleck beans with a ton of Siracha. So hot I can't really taste them. And I have a new love for red pepper hummus with apples or pears. Try it, not so bad.

Zeromilediet

I used to like beans, like hummus or black bean soup, but would get agonizing um, gas. Asked myself: why are you doing this? Body doesn't like. So no more beans. Somehow I've managed to live and thrive without so-called wonderful beans.

If you don't like them, don't eat them. Find another healthy food like carrots. Lettuce. Squash. Tomatoes. etc.

lwagnitz

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I am cracking up at the title of the thread. It makes you sound like a sadist!

LMAO :P

JTick

No recipes to add (I am not a good bean cooker, so will be trying some of these!)...

But I just wanted to let you know I totally feel you on adding good foods in. I loathe chicken. I just don't like the taste. But, I needed to get my protein up and wanted to learn to like chicken. I started experimenting, and now eat chicken almost every day. I sneak it into other dishes.

My go to is a burrito. You can add so much, the food you don't quite care for is masked pretty easily. This would be a good way to try the beans...add a 1/4 cup or so into a burrito, and gradually increase the amount you can tolerate.

djc315

Besides the texture, what don't you like about them? And at what point do you not like the texture? Some beans are firmer than others, and if you make them yourself you can really control that vs opening a can of beans.

I love beans, so once I know why you don't maybe I can think of ways I eat them that you might be able to do. I eat beans a lot (I'm also a vegetarian), but even when I ate meat I still ate them a lot. They are tasty little things!

20tulipgirl20

Black beans sauted with peppers and/or onions with butter or a sauce of some kind.

Sweet with heat roasted chickpeas ( http://www.damyhealth.com/2012/02/sweet-with-heat-roasted-chickpeas/ )

These both kind of hide the flavor of the actual bean, but still give you the benefits of them. I know the feeling of wanting to eat something you don't like. For me, it is eggs of any kind. I cannot stand them!

lwagnitz

Besides the texture, what don't you like about them? And at what point do you not like the texture? Some beans are firmer than others, and if you make them yourself you can really control that vs opening a can of beans.

I love beans, so once I know why you don't maybe I can think of ways I eat them that you might be able to do. I eat beans a lot (I'm also a vegetarian), but even when I ate meat I still ate them a lot. They are tasty little things!

I bought some black beans to make myself. I just hate how mushy and thick they are. Bleh. The best way I can describe the way they taste is they are moldy mashed up thick potatoes. alkhflskdhf. ick

Motleybird

I used to hate beans too. I've gradually gotten to like some of them.

Now, I like refried beans and hummus. The refried beans I make myself are better than store bought. You can season them any way you want. Last time, I ended up with some overcooked carrots and onions mashed into mine that made them a little bit sweet. Hummus often has a lot of garlic or other spices added to it. It makes for a great no-cook snack on pita, crackers, tortillas, or as a vegetable dip. I also like lentil soup, again with the spices. I also like barracho beans, again, slow cooked with lots of flavor. (I live in the Southwest, so I've had a lot of time to develop an appreciation for refried and barracho beans. I might be skeptical about ordering them anywhere that could be described as "North.")

On my tolerate list, black beans are better than other varieties. I still won't eat them straight, but if I'm cooking the chili, I grab those. Other kinds of beans I will tolerate if they're hidden in something. Don't ask me to eat a bowl of them.

djc315

Besides the texture, what don't you like about them? And at what point do you not like the texture? Some beans are firmer than others, and if you make them yourself you can really control that vs opening a can of beans.

I love beans, so once I know why you don't maybe I can think of ways I eat them that you might be able to do. I eat beans a lot (I'm also a vegetarian), but even when I ate meat I still ate them a lot. They are tasty little things!

I bought some black beans to make myself. I just hate how mushy and thick they are. Bleh. The best way I can describe the way they taste is they are moldy mashed up thick potatoes. alkhflskdhf. ick

Okay so when you cook yours, don't cook them as long as they say to. I think most beans will say to soak over night (make sure you do that) and then if it says to cook for 4-8 hours, check them at 3 hours then again every 30-60 minutes until you can handle the texture. I COMPLETELY understand texture issues, I can't do many foods because of the texture (cottage cheese is one of them) You would probably like them on the firmer side. I think you could try red kidney beans. Black beans are a good start but I do think they get a little more mushy than kidney beans. If you end up making some and they are too mushy, don't throw them away. You can use them in other recipes that you might not notice them. Blend them up and stir them into a pasta sauce, or layer them into a lasagna. What if you made a noodle soup and added a little bit of beans...keep adding more until you are used to eating more beans than pasta. (Doesn't have to be pasta, could be potatoes or whatever kind of soup you want). I love putting black beans on nachos and making a meal of that. Depending on the chips it can range from 200-500 calorie meal. Put the cheese on top of the beans so you don't SEE them but they are there. Try with just one bean on each chip or whatever, then add more the more you eat them.

Stop thinking about moldy mashed up thick potatoes when you are eating them, that sounds disgusting and I don't blame you for not wanting to eat that. Just think you are having some nachos, or some lasagna or whatever it may be. You said you were able to eat a burrito that had some beans in it? Try that again, and as time goes on, slowly add less of the things you are to cover them up and more beans.

I really think you will benefit from making them yourself but if you are in a jam and don't have time, I find the red kidney beans are typically the firmest from a can.

Also, try to pair beans with crunchy foods to counteract the mushy texture of beans. And, season them! But remember NOT to salt/season them until they are cooked or they will have a hard time cooking. I'm not sure if thats just a myth or what, but based on my experience, it's true. They aren't like pasta that you season the water so they get seasoning from that, you know? If you like onions, stir fry some up with some other favorite vegetables and mix in some beans. I actually had that for dinner the other day, it was a mix of green beans, carrots, onions and black beans. Yum.

Have you ever baked chickpeas? They turn into these crispy little delights, you could do that too. After they are baked you can season them however you want. I love chipotle powder on mine.


eta: I hate baked beans, like Boston baked beans or anything like that. I hate the sauce and the texture the beans get. I just can't do it. But I DO like refried beans. I used to think I hated beans just because I assumed they had to be baked beans or no beans but then I realized that isn't true. Yeah, I was sheltered lol.

rowdylibrarian

Totally laughing at how lentils were "gateway beans" for somebody! Heeheehee...

mugsisme

I love beans, and will share some recipes that maybe you will enjoy. Like was said ahead of me, don't cook them so much that they become mushy. I made buckeye beans last week. They are very underdone, totally not on purpose but totally awesome in the "concoction" I've been eating. I put about a half cup of them into a bowl with some thick pizza sauce on them. Add some spices you like. I add red pepper flakes and garlic or onion. Nuke for 30 secs. Top with whatever cheese you like. I do a lot of feta cheese on top. I find it is sooo filling.

Beans and rice as was said before also. I love, love, love roasted chick peas. I found them gross until I roasted them. They are like roasted edamame. I add various spices. I use canned chick peas for this. Soak them in water for at least 30 mins to lower the sodium, rinsing every little while. Let them dry out real long. Bake at about 350, maybe higher depending on your oven. I top mine with curry and cayenne pepper, or a little taco seasoning. You only need the tiniest bit of oil and rub it all over the along with the spices.

I also enjoy bean/vegetable soup. Take a little bit, like maybe 1/2 cup of every bean. Not peas or lima beans, as they tend to get too mushy. Soak them over night. I cook up some onions, and toss in any cut up vegetables that are in season. Carrots, celery, parsnip, turnip, sweet potato, butternut squash, broccoli, etc. Toss them into the onions, and add water to cover. Some pepper, some cumin, a little thyme and sage, and a bay leaf. Cook until the vegetables are soft, and then add the softened beans. Toss in some lentils, as they only take a little time to cook. Simmer about 45 mins longer, and when it is cook, freeze it in one serving size pouches. You will have lunch to last you a month if you use a big enough pot. Eat it with a sandwich and you've got a full meal.

Also, lentils are super high in protein. Have you tried different colors? I really think the blue ones are fun to eat. I make a lentil pilaf with cooked lentils, some brown rice, and peas. (And onions. I love, love, love fried onions.) Play with spices too. They can totally change the way a food tastes.

Awkward30

chocolate covered katie has a lot of desert type foods that are bean-based: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/31/deep-dish-cookie-pie/

I have adapted a lot of those recipes to remove sugar and stuff I don't eat regularly and ended up with some yummy sweet foods that are full of good things.

I've also made my own hummus with chickpeas, a bit of flax oil (other oils would work as well), ginger, shallots, and garlic. Was great and super healthy.

I love beans though, so I try to find lots of uses for them!

mmapags

I happen to like beans but if you don't, don't eat them. If your rationale is getting more protein, understand the nutritionals. Black beans have about as much protein as carbs. Most other beans, pinto, navy, have 3 times as much carbs as protein. They are a food that is a carb with some protein and a lot of fiber. Why force yourself to eat them when you can get the same macronutrient mix in other ways?