Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...
... the more you eat, the better you feel! Seriously, beans are high in soluble fiber and they might just be the heart-healthy NKOTB (New Kids On the Block, duh)!
In the fight against cholesterol, Cheerios can step aside. Beans have been an integral part of the diets of the centenarians living in the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica for a long time, and a new study published last November in the Journal of Nutrition suggests just a 1/2 cup serving of pinto beans on a regular basis may reduce cholesterol and prevent heart disease!
The key ingredient in this heart-healthy formula may be the soluble fiber found in beans that binds to cholesterol helping it move through the digestive track and not get absorbed in the intestines.
What are some great tasting ways to get more beans in your diet? A half a cup a day?
Here is a great recipe for Pinto Bean Tacos. Enjoy!
Pinto Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 can refried or whole pinto beans
- 1 fresh avocado, peeled, pitted and diced.
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup tomato - diced
- 1/2 cup ready made salsa
- 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
- 6 soft mini corn tortillas
Directions
Wrap corn tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven or toaster oven heated to 325 degrees for about five to ten minutes or until warm. Once warm, remove tortillas from oven, but keep wrapped in aluminum foil.
Heat up pinto beans in a sauce pan or in the microwave.
Place avocado in a small bowl. Mash with a fork, add warm pinto beans, 1/2 cup cilantro and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine tomato, onion, 1/2 cup cilantro and two tablespoons lime juice, mix. When corn tortillas are warm, remove from foil, set on a plate, add pinto bean mash, tomato and onion mix to individual corn tortilla shells and add salsa and sour cream. Set aside additional cilantro and avocado to use as a garnish.
Enjoy!
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