Winnie Hsia is a founder, instructor, and performer with Sky Candy opens in a new tab, Austin’s first and most diverse aerial and circus arts school. You may remember her as Whole Foods Market®’s first Social Media Coordinator and Community Manager. She still loves making meals at home from scratch and entertaining friends and family.
As a vegetarian, I’m often asked “so uh, how do you get your protein?” and the easy answer is, “beans!”. One cup of beans can deliver 14-18 grams of protein. Plus beans are low in fat and cholesterol, high in fiber, iron and folic acid. In my opinion, they’re the perfect food: nutritious, easy to cook, versatile and most importantly, delicious. In short, I love beans.
Beans are the foundation of many of the meals I prepare at home. I keep an extensive stock of dried and canned beans. Actually, some of my favorite ready-to-cook beans don’t even in a can but rather a carton. The 365 Everyday Value® beans in aseptic cartons are organic, no-salt added and are Non-GMO Project verified opens in a new tab. All that stuff is important to me, plus they are easy on the pocketbook, too. One of my favorite brands is the Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value, it’s budget friendly and always taste great. Armed with the power of my pantry, I’m always prepared to add beans to any meal of the day. That’s right, you can eat beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Breakfast (Tacos)
Yes, I eat tacos for breakfast (as do most Texans worth their salt). You may be surprised how tasty and fun to make they can be on a Sunday morning.
Tofu and Black Bean Tacos
Refried Beans and Avocado Soft Tacos
Lunch
Zesty Adzuki Bean Salad
Three Bean Salad with Quinoa
Not Tuna Salad (great as a sub for a faux tuna melt!)
Dinner
Pasta and Bean Soup with Kale
Cookoff-Winning Veggie Chili
Indian Spiced Garbanzos and Greens (served with basmati rice)
Canned beans can be used in almost any recipe for quick, hearty meals, but when I can, I try to have some cooked beans ready to go in the fridge or freezer. Cooling dried beans is a cinch and requires little effort (especially with a slow cooker). Just sort, soak, rinse and cook! Check out our easy Learn to Cook Beans opens in a new tab recipe and learn all you need to know about lovely legumes in our online Guide to Beans opens in a new tab.
When I can afford the splurge (and really, at under $5 a pound for almost all varieties, it’s a pretty practical splurge), I like to pick up some varieties of heirloom beans. Heirloom beans have unique flavors and are often richer than your standard varieties. Either experiment on your own or reach out to a team member in our bulk department for their suggestions. Variety keeps life interesting and I like to think my choices help encourage plant diversity in our food supply.
So, do you love beans as much as I do? What are your favorite ways to enjoy them?
