Meatless Meal Substitute: Beans

If you are looking for frugal ways to substitute meat into your meals, there is no easier or more accessible way than beans.

The Math {via Central Bean Co.}

• A pound of beans measures about 2 cups.
• Beans triple in volume when soaked and cooked.
• A cup of dry beans yields 3 cups cooked.
• A pound of dry beans yields 6 cups cooked.
• Use 3 cups of water per cup of dry beans for soaking.
• Simmer each pound of beans 2 hours after soaking.
• A pound of dry beans makes about 9 servings of baked beans.
• A pound of dry beans makes about 12 servings of bean soup.
• A one-pound can of cooked beans measures about 2 cups.

Cooking Tips/Facts: {via Belly Bytes}

• Snap beans are found in green and yellow varieties.
• Purple wax beans turn green when cooked.
• Haricot verts are also called French Beans.
• Chinese long beans may be up to 18 inches long.
• Cooked beans will stay fresh in the refrigerator for approximately five days.
• For a different taste, add celery soup to the green beans.
• Boiling whole green beans instead of cut up ones will retain 50 percent more of the nutrients.
• Chickpeas have the most calories; however, beans for the most part are low in calories and contain hardly any fat. The only exception is soybeans which are high in polyunsaturated fat.
• Beans contain 22 percent protein. Beef contains only 18 percent and eggs 13 percent protein.
• To prevent beans from becoming mushy, try adding a small amount of baking soda to the water while they are cooking.
• Cooked beans will store for up to six months in the freezer, but only four to six days in the refrigerator.
• If beans get too salty, try using a small amount of brown sugar.
• To eliminate gas in beans, try using Beano. It really works! It neutralizes the sugar in the beans that cause gas production in your body.
• You can also eliminate gas producing from beans by adding a teaspoon of fennel seed to the water you soak the beans in.

{image and more recipes via BeanPlate}