Does the water in which beans or legumes cook have all the nutrients?

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beige2012
beige2012 Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am vegetarian and I am trying to incorporate more salads with beans and legumes into my every day diet. I did some research and found that dried beans cooked from scratch may be more nutritious and lower in sodium than canned beans. So I decided I am going to try to make beans from scratch for salads.

Now the only question I am facing is that after I cook the beans, I need to throw away the liquid in which they cooked, so that I can incorporate them in my salad. I think that this liquid in which the beans cook may have all the nutrients. Is this true? Does anyone face a similar issue? How do incorporate beans/legumes into your salad from scratch while keeping the most amount of nutrients intact?

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  • akiba254
    akiba254 Posts: 209 Member
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    This might help answer your question http://www.vegancoach.com/why-discard-bean-soaking-water.html
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited April 2015
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    It's the water that you soak the beans in that you want to stay away from. Once the beans are in the Crockpot or Pot on the stove you can use the water for what ever you like. Perhaps boil some veggies in it and use it for broth like one would chicken or turkey.

    If you don't overcook the beans much of the nutrients stay in the legumes. You don't want to boil the beans, only simmer to cook. Boiling them takes away the nutrients.

    You can also use the water to make rice, quinoa, couscous or anything along that line. :)

    Here's a Google page with some ideas.. It's kidney beans you need to be most careful about because they can be toxic.
    https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=should+i+reuse+the+water+I+cook+my+legumes+in
  • Omaoffive
    Omaoffive Posts: 15 Member
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    beige2012 wrote: »
    I did some research and found that dried beans cooked from scratch may be more nutritious and lower in sodium than canned beans. So I decided I am going to try to make beans from scratch for salads.



    Not only that but they taste so much better! I cook my own from scratch all the the time and now dislike the taste of canned ones. My favourite is the pinto bean; I've read that it is the most nutritious also.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    akiba254 wrote: »
    This might help answer your question http://www.vegancoach.com/why-discard-bean-soaking-water.html

    I could be mistaken but I believe she's not talking about the soaking water but the actual water she's cooked the beans in after they were soaked and rinsed well.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Omaoffive wrote: »
    beige2012 wrote: »
    I did some research and found that dried beans cooked from scratch may be more nutritious and lower in sodium than canned beans. So I decided I am going to try to make beans from scratch for salads.


    Not only that but they taste so much better! I cook my own from scratch all the the time and now dislike the taste of canned ones. My favourite is the pinto bean; I've read that it is the most nutritious also.

    I agree. I've also heard that between the two types of Kidney beans, the dark red and the light ones the darker have the most nutrition. Legumes are awesome and absolutely better when prepared than canned. No sodium and so much fresher!

    Sorry about the quotes being messed up.. oh well lol
  • beige2012
    beige2012 Posts: 24 Member
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    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    akiba254 wrote: »
    This might help answer your question http://www.vegancoach.com/why-discard-bean-soaking-water.html

    I could be mistaken but I believe she's not talking about the soaking water but the actual water she's cooked the beans in after they were soaked and rinsed well.


    Yes, I already knew that I need to discard bean soaking water. My question was about the water in which I cook the beans.

  • beige2012
    beige2012 Posts: 24 Member
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    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    It's the water that you soak the beans in that you want to stay away from. Once the beans are in the Crockpot or Pot on the stove you can use the water for what ever you like. Perhaps boil some veggies in it and use it for broth like one would chicken or turkey.

    If you don't overcook the beans much of the nutrients stay in the legumes. You don't want to boil the beans, only simmer to cook. Boiling them takes away the nutrients.

    You can also use the water to make rice, quinoa, couscous or anything along that line. :)

    Here's a Google page with some ideas.. It's kidney beans you need to be most careful about because they can be toxic.
    https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=should+i+reuse+the+water+I+cook+my+legumes+in


    These are great ideas. Thank you this is the information I was looking for. I will try not to overcook them and try to reuse the water to make quinoa and couscous.

  • beige2012
    beige2012 Posts: 24 Member
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    Omaoffive wrote: »
    beige2012 wrote: »
    I did some research and found that dried beans cooked from scratch may be more nutritious and lower in sodium than canned beans. So I decided I am going to try to make beans from scratch for salads.



    Not only that but they taste so much better! I cook my own from scratch all the the time and now dislike the taste of canned ones. My favourite is the pinto bean; I've read that it is the most nutritious also.


    I am going to use this tip. I plan to make salads ahead of time, so I will try out different beans each week. I will start with pinto beans then. I will try to go for the darker ones.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited April 2015
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    beige2012 wrote: »
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    It's the water that you soak the beans in that you want to stay away from. Once the beans are in the Crockpot or Pot on the stove you can use the water for what ever you like. Perhaps boil some veggies in it and use it for broth like one would chicken or turkey.

    If you don't overcook the beans much of the nutrients stay in the legumes. You don't want to boil the beans, only simmer to cook. Boiling them takes away the nutrients.

    You can also use the water to make rice, quinoa, couscous or anything along that line. :)

    Here's a Google page with some ideas.. It's kidney beans you need to be most careful about because they can be toxic.
    https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=should+i+reuse+the+water+I+cook+my+legumes+in


    These are great ideas. Thank you this is the information I was looking for. I will try not to overcook them and try to reuse the water to make quinoa and couscous.

    You're welcome :) I intended to buy some dried turtle (black) beans today and ran out of time. You've reminded me to pick some up in the a.m. So thanks ;)
  • kissesdahling
    kissesdahling Posts: 38 Member
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    It is vital to discard the cooking water after cooking lima beans because the cooking process is what removes the cyanide. Kidney beans are also rendered nontoxic by the cooking process.(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/foods-that-could-kill-you_n_4039765.html)

    (There are other vegetables that you must discard the cooking water for too like poke salad and cassava.)
  • beige2012
    beige2012 Posts: 24 Member
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    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    beige2012 wrote: »
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    It's the water that you soak the beans in that you want to stay away from. Once the beans are in the Crockpot or Pot on the stove you can use the water for what ever you like. Perhaps boil some veggies in it and use it for broth like one would chicken or turkey.

    If you don't overcook the beans much of the nutrients stay in the legumes. You don't want to boil the beans, only simmer to cook. Boiling them takes away the nutrients.

    You can also use the water to make rice, quinoa, couscous or anything along that line. :)

    Here's a Google page with some ideas.. It's kidney beans you need to be most careful about because they can be toxic.
    https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=should+i+reuse+the+water+I+cook+my+legumes+in


    These are great ideas. Thank you this is the information I was looking for. I will try not to overcook them and try to reuse the water to make quinoa and couscous.

    You're welcome :) I intended to buy some dried turtle (black) beans today and ran out of time. You've reminded me to pick some up in the a.m. So thanks ;)

    Haha...glad I could be of some help too : )

  • beige2012
    beige2012 Posts: 24 Member
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    kissesdahling wrote: »
    It is vital to discard the cooking water after cooking lima beans because the cooking process is what removes the cyanide. Kidney beans are also rendered nontoxic by the cooking process.(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/foods-that-could-kill-you_n_4039765.html)

    (There are other vegetables that you must discard the cooking water for too like poke salad and cassava.)


    Thanks. This is good to know information. I will keep in mind. Thanks : )
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Options
    kissesdahling wrote: »
    It is vital to discard the cooking water after cooking lima beans because the cooking process is what removes the cyanide. Kidney beans are also rendered nontoxic by the cooking process.(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/foods-that-could-kill-you_n_4039765.html)

    (There are other vegetables that you must discard the cooking water for too like poke salad and cassava.)


    I wasn't familiar with poke salad (it's a green, now I know!) or cassava so I Googled them.

    Cassava is very interesting... I had no idea it was Tapioca....here's a blurb I found on it.

    Cassava
    By Dan FletcherMonday

    "Better known to Americans as tapioca, the pudding favorite is produced from the roots of this bush-like plant. But the crop can have deadly consequences. If prepared incorrectly, the cassava plant can produce cyanide, a deadly compound when consumed. A small number of people are also allergic to the plant — the American Cancer Society warns that those with a latex rubber allergy might be more susceptible and should consider opting for a different dessert."

    Not sure that I'll ever be around either plant but good info to know.

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