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I love vegetarian meals and we actually eat more vegetarian meals in our house than meat containing ones. However it is all too easy to get stuck in a rut. I realised that I haven’t used many beans for a while and I have a store of dried ones of all varieties. Partially this is because I don’t cope too well with having large portions of them in my diet. Also I wasn’t sure my boy would be best impressed with me. How wrong I was, tthe dish was emptied, plates all cleared and everyone had seconds!

Beans and Pulses are a Fodmap so they can cause issues for some people… the trick is to work out how much you can tolerate, I know my limit is a small portion (2 tbsp) about once a week. As with many things it is all about tolerance and moderation.

Apparently 2016 is the year of pulses. This group of foods includes beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils, they are probably best know for their fibre content and wind producing abilites! It is recommended that we eat 30g a day of fibre, which is actually a fair amount to fit in and requires a healthy, well thought out eating plan for your day. Pulses can be a helpful way to get that fibre content up, 3 tbsp is about 6g fibre. They are a great source of insoluble fibre to help sweep the system through and helps with constipation issues. They also contain soluble fibre, which binds with cholesterol stopping it being absorbed and can help control blood sugar levels too.

A great protein source for vegans and vegetarians too. However they do not contain all the essential amino acids that our body needs to build proteins, so my advice is to always eat a variety of protein sources and a variety of different pulses. In this recipe I included cannellini beans and chickpeas.

Added bonus 3 tbsp (80g) also counts as a portion of fruit and vegetables. This recipe contains 400g beans so 5 adult portions. Along with the vegetables this works out at 3 portions of vegetables in a meal.

Vegetable Beany Bake

2016-06-15 16:48:14

Serves 6

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Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

20 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

20 min

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

302g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 284

Calories from Fat 39

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 5g

Saturated Fat 1g

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 250mg

10%

Total Carbohydrates 51g

17%

Dietary Fiber 12g

48%

Sugars 8g

Protein 12g

Vitamin A

232%

Vitamin C

108%

Calcium

10%

Iron

20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion sliced
2 galric cloves crushed
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 peppers chopped
2 sweet potatoes peeled and in small chunks
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mixed dried herbs or a large handful of fresh herbs
1 bay leaf
400g chopped tomatoes
100ml water
400g mixed pulses (I used cannelini beans and chickpeas)

Topping

2 slices of bread (wheat/gluten free if needed)
100g oats (gluten free if needed)
Fresh parsley
mozzerella

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes.
Add the carrots and peppers and cook for 5 minutes on a gentle heat.
Mix in the paprika and cumin then the sweet potatoes and cook for a minute.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until everything is soft.
Mix in the cooked/tinned and drained pulses along with the herbs.
Break up the bread into crumbs using your hands or a food processor.
Mix with the chopped fresh parsley and oats.
Place the beany mix in an overproof dish and top with the oats and breadcrumb mixture.
Dot with mozzerella if wanted.
Bake for 20 minutes at Gas Mark 6.

Notes

If using dried beans use 200g, soak overnight, drain the water and then cook for 40 minutes or until soft.

By Priya Tew, Dietitian UK

beta

calories

284

fat

protein

12g

carbs

51g

Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/

Blog post written for Slimsticks.com

Eating a more plant based diet is becoming increasingly popular and the current research is suggesting it’s the way to go. If you don’t want to go the whole “hog” then why not have a few meat free days in your week?

A plant based diet is thought to reduce the risk of several cancers including throat, stomach, colon, prostrate and oesophagus. For example eating too much red meat and processed meat increases your risk of colon cancer. Eating more fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds leads to a diet lower in fat and calories so can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. A plant based diet is also higher in fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals, all of which can help prevent disease such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

But eating a more vegetarian diet does mean you need to plan and be a bit organised. Plant based protein foods do not contain the full complement of amino acids which can leave you lacking in protein. Therefore it is important to ensure that you eat a range of different protein foods. Good choices include nuts, fish, seeds, beans, legumes, eggs, cheese, dairy, tofu, quinoa and soya.

Top tips for plant based protein:

Add seeds to salads and stir fries.
Top cereals with slivered nuts.
Experiment with beans, add them to curries, chilli, casseroles and salads.
Lentils make a great thickened for soups.
Hummous and nut butters are great at lunchtimes.
Stock up the freezer with a range of protein sources so you don’t run short.
Try bean chilli instead of beef chilli or using quorn mince as a minced beef substitute.
Eggs are fast, fantastic and packed full of protein – omelettes, frittata’s, boiled, scrambled, poached are all healthy options.

Dietitian UK

Tag Archives: beans and pulses

Vegetable Beany Bake

Plant Based Protein

Freelance Dietitian specialising in helping those with Eating Disorders and a Media Spokesperson for the profession.