Appreciate Your Green Beans!

Recently I was compiling a list of the best food sources for vitamins and minerals, and I was surprised to see green beans pop up on several lists.  Could that water logged salty thing I ate from a can as a child be a super food?

Yes!  Green beans are a super food, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the high sodium canned versions are nearly as good as fresh or frozen.

Green beans are versatile, widely available and nutrient rich.  They are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, and a very good source of vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folate, tryptophan, and iron.  If you are not a big fan of leafy greens, 1 cup of green beans provides 25% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K and 10% of folate.  They also contain phytonutrients beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin which provide anti-inflammatory properties.  Go green beans!

Over 130 varieties of snap bean are known. Pod color can be green, golden, purple, red, or streaked.  Shapes range from thin "fillet" types to wide "romano" types and more common types in between. French Haricots verts (green beans) are bred for flavorful pods.  The most popular variety is the green snap bean.

Fresh green beans are far superior to frozen or canned.  Choose beans that are smooth, firm, vibrant green, and snap when bent.  Avoid discolored, wrinkled, or mushy beans.  Do not wash them and store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Properly stored, they will be fresh for up to 7 days.  Many people trim off both ends before eating them, but it is fine to trim off only the top stem end.

Green beans can be eaten raw, steamed or roasted.  Avoid boiling them as water soluble nutrients will leach in to the water.  Green beans are best “al dente” and are done after steaming for just 4-5 minutes.  Once steamed, add them to salads, eat as a side dish tossed with lemon and olive oil, or marinate them with legumes for a colorful summer salad.

One of my favorite recipes for green beans is to toss steamed green beans with a little butter, mustard, and fresh dill.  Another great recipe is to roast them with Asian flavors. 

For green bean recipes that will make your mouth water, see the Eating Well website at http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_green_bean_recipes.

The next time one of your neighbors, friends, or coworkers is trying to give away their garden’s abundance of green beans, enjoy them knowing that you are in the presence of a super food!