rT eI De ceri a aS) le B6 Terrace Review — Wednesday, March 28, 1990 ‘ood for the body Eat well, Live well by Sonya Kupka ‘Beans, beans, they're good . for your heart...’ We all sang that rhyme as kids and know all too well that the gassy com- plaint in the next line is no myth. What we don’t all know is that beans and other legumes are an economical and healthy way to get protein, complex carbohydrates and fibre ' without getting all the fat that goes along with meat. They’re also environmentally friendly, requiring far less farmland and energy to produce than other forms of protein. Legumes are dried beans such as kidney, navy and gar- banzo beans; or dried and split peas, lentils and soybeans, Legumes used to be the poor man’s alternative to meat. Nowadays legumes are getting | a higher profile from en- vironmentalists looking for a “ereener’’? way to get their pro- tein than from animals. Cattle require three times as much land as grain to produce the same amount of protein. And to produce one kilogram of meat you need to feed the cow 16 kilograms of grain. A far - more efficient way for the earth to supply us with protein ‘is for us to eat the legumes and grain instead of the cow. Regarding the nutritional merits of beans, as an alter- native to meat at a meal legumes are the best. Legumes give you more protein for your dollar than any other food. They are low in fat and calories. Legumes are a healthy source of iron, Vitamin A, most B vitamins and they’re - high in fibre — including the same type of fibre found in oatmeal. . Eating legumes one to three times a week is a great way to reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. Natural Gas The gas and discomfort many of us feel when eating legumes can easily be reduced. The trick is to soak your _ legumes well. This means plan- ning ahead, usually the night forming compounds. Cook in _ two cups of liquid for every | cup of saked peas or lentils for - 10-45 minutes, - depending on type and variety. os Dry beans and whole peas. re- quire more soaking. Either. . soak them in more water, © changing the water niore fre- quently, or use this quicker method: Boil the beans for. ~ three minutes in plenty-of — - water. Then allow them to soak in this water for four hours. - Pour off this water, add fresh, and cook them for half an — hour. Again, throw out this water and cook again.-Most beans need about an hour to cook by this method. - ~ : Some people like to use pressure cookers to speed up the process. This is fine for beans and whole peas, but dangerous with the softer split peas and lentils. Refer, to the pressure cooker’s directions for details on using. A convenient way to enjoy legumes is to purchase the can- ned versions. Rinse them well _ to get rid of salt and reduce their gassiness. Or cook up a _big batch one weekend and . freeze in meal-size containers. _ As with all high fibre foods, introduce legumes to your system gradually to avoid before. Soak split peas and len- A tils overnight in at least three cups of water for every cup of legumes. Discard the water in the morning and soak again during the day if you’ve time. This will reduce the amount of time needed to cook them and’ remove most of the gas- Wine: you wear discomfort... Tasty recipes are important. ‘Legumes have a bland flavor, making them the ideal food to . cook. They take on the flavor ‘Of whatever you cook them in. Toss cooked lentils in with - your stir fry, or serve with rice ~ and flavorful chutney. Add to _ soups or make a mostly meatless chili. ° ‘The Canadian Dietetic. ct ptt be an 2 : at + , ’ , ( 1 + : a a : ’ a . . am 1 Association’s new cookbook and guide to healthy eating, “Fat Well, Live Well’’ has a. whole section devoted to meatless entrees. “Mexican Pie”? i is a great way to’in- troduce your family to ‘legumes. You won’t hear any. one saying ‘‘where’ s the beef?” - or ‘¢yuck”"! when you serve this! Make it ahead and freeze it for a quick dinner. MEXICAN PIE _ medium onion, chopped vegetable oil ~ can (1902z/540ml) tomatoes . can (140z/398ml) kidney beans 1 - can (120z/341ml) whole kernel corn 1 thsp chili powder % cup ‘cornmeal | 175 ml - 1 cup . 2 percent milk | 250 ml. 2 eggs 2. 14 cup shredded cheese (Old Cheddar, Swiss. 375 ml mozzarella or a mixture of all three) In large skillet on medium-high heat, cook onion in oil until transparent. Cut up tomatoes. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, — corn and chili powder to skillet. Cook on low heat, uncovered for about 1 hour, or until slightly thickened; stir occasionally. Pour mixture into 9 x 13 inch (3.5 liter) baking pan. Sprinkle commeal evenly over surface. In separate bowl, beat together milk and eggs; pour evenly 15 ml - over cornmeal. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 350 degree F (180 C) oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Cut into squares to serve. L__ — Anopen & shut case - for choosing Northern Drugs photo processing, . Choose Northern Drugs for your next 24 or 36-exposure (or Disc™) film a Processing and printing order and you'll receive a handy Pocket Album FREE of charge. “Once you open the Pocket Album, you'll know you've made the right choice, - Forone thing, the album cover doesn’tsnap shut again; its special Cerlox™ binding ~~ gllows.the pages to lie completely flat. - You'll also notice the pages are designed for 4 x 6 Supersize prints—36 in all, * And that each snapshot is fully. protected by its own transparent sleeve. 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