Subsitute for processed black beans in a can?

sah0724
sah0724 Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

I will post my diet after I get off work.
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Replies

  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    there are canned low sodium ones. Or you could try dry black beans - a little extra effort with soaking before cooking.
  • BAMarsh
    BAMarsh Posts: 72 Member
    Just cook your own.
  • BuffyEat2Live
    BuffyEat2Live Posts: 327 Member
    Drain and rinse them and/or cook your own. You don't have to soak them, just make in crock pot with two inches of water above them for 7-8 hours on low. :-)
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Make your own.

    1 can = 720mg (bush's black beans)
    dry beans of equal amount (1 1/2 cups) = 56mg sodium

    The choice is clear. Takes a little bit more time, but you can buy a bag, make the whole thing up and freeze it. Ends up being cheaper too. 1 bag of beans usually ends up being about 3 cups, which is about 6 cups cooked and is about $1.00. 3 cans of Bush's Black beans costs between $3-6, depending on where you buy it.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

    I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

    For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

    What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

    I will post my diet after I get off work.

    Dry black beans and why would you switch from white to brown rice?
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    get bags of dried beans. they're cheaper, and really don't take long. you can soak them in water overnight that way they are ready the next day. i switched from canned to bagged beans, they last me longer and save me some monies :] i buy the bags of goya or you can buy them in bulk as well and soak them all at once or only when you need them
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
    Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

    I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

    For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

    What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

    I will post my diet after I get off work.

    Dry black beans and why would you switch from white to brown rice?

    Because brown tastes better...but im guessing im in the minority on that one
  • MelisMusing
    MelisMusing Posts: 421 Member
    Make your own. Crockpot. Easy peasy.
  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
    Drain and rinse them and/or cook your own. You don't have to soak them, just make in crock pot with two inches of water above them for 7-8 hours on low. :-)

    Thanks for the crock pot tip. I've been carrying around a bag of dry beans in my backpack and generally forgetting about them - probably because I was avoiding having to actually cook them - crock pot makes it sound easy and fuss free.
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

    I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

    For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

    What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

    I will post my diet after I get off work.

    Dry black beans and why would you switch from white to brown rice?

    someone told be brown rice has arsenic in it or something, not sure how true this is though.
  • Textmessage
    Textmessage Posts: 387 Member
    Personally, I buy Sun Vista- no salt added canned beans.

    Edit:

    Nutrition info:

    Serving Size: 1/2 Cup
    Amount per Serving
    Calories 110
    Calories from Fat 9.0
    % Daily Value *
    Total Fat 1g
    1%
    Saturated Fat 0g
    0%
    Cholesterol 0mg
    0%
    Sodium 10mg
    0%
    Total Carbohydrate 19g
    6%
    Dietary Fiber 7g
    28%
    Sugars 1g

    Protein 7g
    14%
  • drchimpanzee
    drchimpanzee Posts: 892 Member
    Not sure if it's something you're doing already but if you do stick with canned beans get a strainer and wash the extra goop the beans come in off before you cook them. Obviously this won't eliminate all of the sodium but it will help plus, to me at least, the beans will taste much better.
  • Some_Watery_Tart
    Some_Watery_Tart Posts: 2,250 Member
    I do my own black beans from dry beans. I do them in the crockpot, but I wouldn't suggest skipping the soak. The soaking draws out a lot of the enzyme in the beans that causes gas. It really only takes a few minutes to throw them in a bucket of water. Let them sit for 12-24 hours, dump them in a colander and give them a quick rinse, then throw them in the crockpot, cover with water, put in on low. They're done when the reach a texture you like. I usually stick them in the crockpot before I leave for work and pull them out when I get home. Then just throw them in the freezer and use as needed.
  • stepnehjones
    stepnehjones Posts: 8 Member
    Try dry beans in a pressure cooker. Very quick and no soaking!
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    Definitely make your own, I never buy canned beans! Make big batches and then freeze smaller amounts that you can pull out of the freezer.

    I would definitely recommend soaking them prior to cooking. After the soak, rinse them really well and then use new water for the cooking. This aids with digestion. You, and those around you, will be grateful for the soaking.

    You could also consider a pressure cooker - those are impossible to beat when it comes to cooking beans! They're also great for steaming veggies.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    i much prefer bagged black beans that i soak overnight.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    there are canned low sodium ones. Or you could try dry black beans - a little extra effort with soaking before cooking.

    This ^^

    Black beans aren't high sodium. The added salt is high sodium. Either buy low sodium canned or cook your own.
  • shirleygirl910
    shirleygirl910 Posts: 503 Member
    Change out the rice with quinoa. It has more protein. Crckpot your black beans. Both very easy. I found for my body if I cook it from scratch I can eat for a lot less calories and I actually like it more. I was never a cook but am beginning to like it.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I do my own black beans from dry beans. I do them in the crockpot, but I wouldn't suggest skipping the soak. The soaking draws out a lot of the enzyme in the beans that causes gas. It really only takes a few minutes to throw them in a bucket of water. Let them sit for 12-24 hours, dump them in a colander and give them a quick rinse, then throw them in the crockpot, cover with water, put in on low. They're done when the reach a texture you like. I usually stick them in the crockpot before I leave for work and pull them out when I get home. Then just throw them in the freezer and use as needed.


    Ahhhh! Thanks for the "soaking" tip. Good to know.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

    I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

    For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

    What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

    I will post my diet after I get off work.

    Dry black beans and why would you switch from white to brown rice?

    Because brown tastes better...but im guessing im in the minority on that one

    Maybe so, but I also think it tastes better. And it has more fiber, but when eaten with beans that's probably less of an issue since beans are high fiber.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

    I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

    For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

    What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

    I will post my diet after I get off work.

    Dry black beans and why would you switch from white to brown rice?

    Because everyone has been told how much better brown rice is and nobody bothers to sit down and do their own research. Why waste our time figuring out what the difference is when we can follow what we are spoonfed blindly? :grumble: I prefer to do my own research, just in case you wondered where my opinion fell.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    If you don't have a slow cooker, use the oven. I do anything that needs to simmer for a long time in the oven, including beans or rice. Like in a slow cooker, you don't need to watch them. I also surround the pot of whatever with other things so I've cooked several items at once and have them to use in the following days. For example, a few days ago I had the last of the Easter ham and bone in a stock pot making stock for the freezer and several red potatoes and a sweet potato baking in foil on the racks around the stock pot. Today, I need to make bread and will roast a bunch of beets while I have the oven on for the bread. A cold roasted beet with a little salad dressing is a fantastic snack. Alton Brown's instructions for oven brown rice are perfect. I often mix 2 parts brown rice and 1 part wild.
  • shellgirl144
    shellgirl144 Posts: 33
    Can other beans be soaked, cooked and frozen as well? It could be done, right? I use a lot of different kinds of beans and I guess I never thought of freezing them.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Can other beans be soaked, cooked and frozen as well? It could be done, right? I use a lot of different kinds of beans and I guess I never thought of freezing them.

    Yes
  • FluffyMcNutter
    FluffyMcNutter Posts: 68
    This is probably a pretty silly question, but I've never frozen beans before. It seems like they'd get mushy, so how do you defrost and re-heat them so they don't do that? Not cook them quite all the way before freezing? Or do they manage to hold up pretty well with nothing special really happening?
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

    I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

    For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

    What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

    I will post my diet after I get off work.

    Try cooking dried lentils. They cook faster than most dried beans. You can also buy dried black beans, soak them, and cook them ahead of time for your lunch, and they don't have the salt. I understand the convenience of canned food. I used to think I didn't have time to cook dried beans, but I do have time if I plan ahead.
  • sgrubby
    sgrubby Posts: 103 Member
    Trying to cut back on my sodium intake, I"m 38 and 6 feet 190.

    I usually eat the same thing everyday since I'm working out and trying to get into shape.

    For lunch I eat chicken breast, white rice and black beans.... I want to get rid of the black beans, maybe the white rice and switch to brown rice as well.

    What's a good substitute for black beans since they're high in sodium?

    I will post my diet after I get off work.

    Dry black beans and why would you switch from white to brown rice?

    Because brown tastes better...but im guessing im in the minority on that one

    Not only does brown rice taste better (IMO) but by leaving the bran and the germ intact, it has more fiber, vitamins and minerals. In other words, it is healthier.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_rice
  • ColleenRoss50
    ColleenRoss50 Posts: 199 Member
    Draining and rinsing canned beans has been shown to reduce the sodium by 40%, or you can buy black beans, chick peas, kidney beans etc. with no added sodium. I buy the "no salt added" brands at my store and they are only a few pennies (about 5 to 10 cents) more than the ones with added sodium.

    Of course you can also buy dried beans and cook them yourself but I'm lazy. :embarassed:
  • bprague
    bprague Posts: 564 Member
    >.>
    <.<
    cook dry black beans.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I do my own black beans from dry beans. I do them in the crockpot, but I wouldn't suggest skipping the soak. The soaking draws out a lot of the enzyme in the beans that causes gas. It really only takes a few minutes to throw them in a bucket of water. Let them sit for 12-24 hours, dump them in a colander and give them a quick rinse, then throw them in the crockpot, cover with water, put in on low. They're done when the reach a texture you like. I usually stick them in the crockpot before I leave for work and pull them out when I get home. Then just throw them in the freezer and use as needed.
    That's actually a myth. All soaking does is speed up cooking time, by softening the beans. It has nothing to do with causing gas. Also, it's not an enzyme that causes gas, it's the starch in the bean (essentially, what the bean is made out of) that causes the gas, since the human body doesn't usually have the enzyme necessary to break down the oligosaccharides in some beans. So those oligosaccharides travel to the large intestine, bacteria in the large intestine eat them, and their waste product is the gas.

    The way to eliminate gas in beans is to eat more beans, as eating them regularly causes your body to go ahead and create the enzyme needed to digest the beans properly.

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