Pinto Beans for the Love of Soul Food – A Comfort Recipe

What Are Pinto Beans? | Fun Facts | Health Benefits | Nutritional Value | Healthy & Delicious Recipe | Bottom Line

If you are a fan of soul food, you must have been shamed at least once for eating this apparently unhealthy cuisine. Because this is what it has long been associated with. Little do people know that soul food has hundreds of ingredients other than organ meats and oil. Irrespective of how healthy and unhealthy an ingredient is, there are several ways that you can opt to make any unhealthy soul food healthy.

In this article, let us present to you one of our all-time favorite low-calorie and nutrient-packed soul food ingredients – pinto beans! These little canvases streaked with red color are power banks of energy. Great to taste, filling, filled with fiber, this variety of beans has a rich past and nutrient content.

You must know a number of different beans recipes, that have been satisfying your taste buds for ages, in this article, we will present a comfort recipe of the old-school pinto beans stew which will satisfy your taste buds alongside reaping great health benefits and, not to mention, losing weight!

Read more about a balanced diet and how to achieve it.

What Are Pinto Beans?

The story behind the name…..

They belong to the common beans family-like kidney, white, and navy beans. The pinto beans are medium-sized and oval-shaped members of the common beans family. They are beige with splashes of red, almost like little canvases painted in streaks. Hence the name pinto, which means painted in Spanish.

A little background…..

In the southwest United States, pinto beans are looked at as a symbol of regional identity. For the Mexican Americans, this is one of the official state vegetables and is called Frijoles. Whereas, in Texas, it is referred to as Cowboy Beans and was consumed by Mexican cowboys as a staple.

<h2style=”padding-top: 0px;”>Are Pinto Beans Amongst the World’s Healthiest Foods?

It won’t be an overstatement to say that pinto beans are amongst the toppers of the world’s healthiest foods as they belong to the legumes family. Fancy cuisines have overlooked beans for the longest time, but today, it is no secret that beans should be a big part of your diet as they offer numerous health benefits. They can do it all, from providing amazing benefits to your heart health to aiding weight loss. Read on to find out some of the most important benefits of this inexpensive and easy to get hold of vegetable.

Summary: Pinto beans are a storehouse of nutrients that you need to maintain optimal health. If pinto beans are added to your meals with just a half hour regular walk, you can benefit from aided weight loss and increased energy levels.

 

The Amazing Health Benefits of Pinto Beans

Lower Your Cholesterol

Pinto beans are a great source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Healthy cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. At the same time, high-fiber foods can help regulate bowel movements, good digestion, weight loss, and overall sound health.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as pinto beans, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years. People eating the table most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12% less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those eating the least, 5 grams daily. Those eating the most water-soluble dietary fiber fared even better with a 15% reduction in risk of CHD and a 10% risk reduction in CVD.

In another study that examined food intake patterns and risk of death from coronary heart disease, researchers followed more than 16,000 middle-aged men in the U.S., Finland, The Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece, and Japan for 25 years. Typical food patterns were: higher consumption of dairy products in Northern Europe; higher consumption of meat in the U.S.; higher consumption of vegetables, legumes, fish, and wine in Southern Europe; and higher consumption of cereals, soy products, and fish in Japan. When researchers analyzed this data with the risk of death from heart disease, they found that higher legume consumption was associated with a whopping 82% reduction in heart attack risk!

Summary: Pinto beans can improve your overall cholesterol levels. These are loaded with fibers that lower your cholesterol and improve heart health.

Treat Low-Energy Levels 

Pinto beans can really help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. Being slow-burning complex carbohydrates, pinto beans can increase your power by replenishing iron stores in your body. Plus, the iron content helps fight anemia which causes weakness, tiredness, and low energy levels. Research shows that pinto beans have a low glycemic index. Despite their high carbohydrate level, they do not substantially raise your blood sugar level due to their slow digestion process.

Apart from that, pinto beans contain Copper & Manganese, which are energy-producing nutrients and maintain our energy levels throughout the day.

Summary: Pinto beans can be a source of long-lasting energy. The carbohydrates, fibers, and micronutrients make them a good source of immediate and continuous energy.

Improve Brain Health

They are rich in thiamine, which is essential to maintain a good memory. Thiamin, B vitamin, engages in enzymatic processes that are essential for energy generation and necessary for brain cell/cognitive function. This is because thiamine is required to produce acetylcholine. It is a crucial neurotransmitter necessary for memory in people whose deficiency has been linked to age-related mental function impairment (senility) and Alzheimer’s disease. The clinical manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease is a reduction in acetylcholine levels.

Summary: It is proven that the thiamine in pinto beans can help maintain optimum memory and brain health and prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Provides Amazing Nutrition

Folate

According to Whfoods, folate helps lower homocysteine levels, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in a necessary metabolic process called the methylation cycle. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease and are found in between 20-40% of patients with heart disease.

Study shows that people with folate deficiency may have depression. This implies that optimum levels of folate can help you keep your brain healthy. Hence pinto beans are a way to combat and prevent depression.

Magnesium

The Magnesium helps improve the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body. Magnesium deficiency is linked with heart attack. Lack of sufficient magnesium promotes free radical injury to the heart. Apart from that, magnesium is linked to lowering depression, lowering inflammation and benefiting against Type II Diabetes.

Research shows that adequate magnesium consumption through diet or supplements reduces inflammatory markers, including CRP, in older adults and overweight people.

Potassium

A rich-potassium diet helps reduce blood pressure and water retention, protect against stroke and prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones.

Pinto Beans Cooked 1.00 cup 171.00 grams Calories: 245 GI: low
Nutrient	Amount	DRI/DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World’s Healthiest Foods Rating
Molybdenum	128.25 mcg	285	21.0	Excellent
Folate	294.12 mcg	74	5.4	Very Good
Fiber	15.39 g	55	4.0	Very Good
Copper	0.37 mg	41	3.0	Good
Phosphorus	251.37 mg	36	2.6	Good
Manganese	0.77 mg	33	2.5	Good
Protein	15.41 g	31	2.3	Good
Vitamin B1	0.33 mg	28	2.0	Good
Vitamin B6	0.39 mg	23	1.7	Good
Magnesium	85.50 mg	20	1.5	Good
Iron	3.57 mg	20	1.5	Good

Summary: Pinto beans are a rich source of Iron, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Fiber, Manganese, Copper, and multiple nutrients essential for heart health, weight loss, good memory, and overall functioning of the body.

Help in Weight Loss

Yes, to your happiness, pinto beans are an excellent source of weight loss as they are rich in fiber, slow-burning carbs that keep you full for longer and hence curbs the hunger pangs. Add pinto beans to your meals, and you are sure to notice a decreased appetite and increased energy levels. Experts suggest having five servings of beans and legumes per week.

Learn more about fads and facts related to weight loss.

Summary: Pinto beans can effectively aid the weight loss process by keeping you full for longer and providing energy during low-calorie diets and intense workouts

Reap All the Benefits of Pinto Beans with this Recipe

There are multiple ways to consume pinto beans and add them to your dishes. The Mexican cuisine is loaded with options; you can enjoy these beans. We are about to disclose a comfort recipe you can enjoy on lazy days that will not only have increased taste value but will also help you remain full for long! Read below.

The comfort pinto beans stew:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Soaking Time: 8 hrs

Serves 8 to 12

Ingredients:

2 cups dry pinto beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ white onion, chopped

1½ teaspoons cumin

8 cups water, more as needed

½ teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste

Red chili powder

1 tablespoon lime juice, more to taste

Instructions:

Soak 2 cups of pinto beans in a colander and pick any debris or stones that may arise on the surface.

Fill another bowl with clean water and soak overnight. Remove any beans that rise on the surface.

Take a pan and pour 1 tablespoon olive oil and then coat the entire surface.

Take a chopped onion and stir fry till translucent.

Sprinkle salt, cumin and red chili powder, and oregano.

Roast and then add the beans. Stir fry for a while.

Add water and then bring the water to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender.

You can add more water if necessary. The consistency depends on your preference but let it simmer until the beans are mushier.

After turning the heat off, add in the lemon juice and season with more salt and pepper.

Serve hot with brown/white rice, mashed potatoes, cornbread, or even Greek salad!

Summary: Enjoy this comforting recipe on lazy days when you don’t feel like spending too much time in the kitchen. This is a slow-cook recipe that you can prepare as you multi-task.

Other Ways You Can Enjoy Pinto Beans

Make a burrito bowl – dice your favorite veggies and shove in the salad bowl along with pinto beans.

Blend pinto beans with avocado, oregano, garlic, and black pepper to make a spread you can use with bread.

Add pinto beans to your veggie soups and enjoy soups that keep you full for longer.

• Make chili by replacing red beans.
• Make a veggie burrito by blending the pinto beans into a paste

These options leave you with no excuse to skimp on the fantastic taste and nutrition of pinto beans.

Bottom Line

What else do you need from a portion of food that can satiate your taste buds and hit the jackpot when it comes to nutrition and health. Well, pinto beans do just that, leaving you with nothing left to wish for. Now that you know all the health benefits of pinto beans and recipes that can make your meal even healthier, you can enjoy your much-loved soul food without regret.

Since you are left with no reason not to eat pinto beans and a bag full of reasons to make them a part of your daily balanced diet, your next step should be towards your kitchen making the beans according to our recipe. Reminding you again, pinto beans are not the only healthy soul food ingredient; we have a whole list of them that will help you achieve the health and taste you crave for.

If you want to lose weight with a healthy diet and don’t know whom to consult, NubianDoc is here for you. With our customized meal plan and workout regimes, you are sure to achieve your weight loss goals so contact us now. Also, checkout our informative articles for guidance on health and weight loss.

How long does it take to cook beans without soaking?

Cooking beans in one go without a cover can take up to six hours. Although, the same quantity of beans, cooked at the same temperature with a lid, can be done in about 1 hour, 15 minutes (without pre-soaking).

Can pinto beans be used with rice?

If you seek weight loss, it is better to take your beans without rice, but otherwise, rice may enhance the taste of your beans.

Can pinto beans be used raw?

It is better to boil, steam, or broil them before use. Otherwise, they may be hard to even chew and digest.