The Superfood Everyone Needs

Unless you're a major Tex-Mex fan, you probably don't cook with beans very often. In fact, most of us fit in just one cup per week-far less than the three cups the USDA dietary guidelines tell us to eat. You may think you have good reason to avoid beans- they're bland and mushy, they give you gas, or you simply don't know how to prepare them-but once you see how healthy they are, you may reconsider. For just 100 calories per half cup, you get plenty of protein, fiber, iron, folate, potassium, and calcium- all nutrients that are crucial to every woman's well-being. With the right preparation techniques, beans can be tastier and more versatile than you ever imagined. Intrigued? Follow these four tips and you can start reaping the benefits of beans today.

Count on canned
They're just as nutritious as the ones you cook yourself, and as a bonus, the canning process neutralizes most of the indigestible starches in beans, so canned varieties aren't likely to cause gas or bloating. They do contain 350 to 500 milligrams of sodium per half cup, but if you drain and rinse these beans before using them, you'll reduce the sodium content by about 40 percent.