The Diet Bean Counter
Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites
Beans & the Legume Family for Weight Loss
If you're counting calories while losing weight OR as part of your weight maintenance program, beans are one of your better values when it comes to caloric content - and satiety power.
A single serving (about 1/2 cup) of beans will keep you feeling full for hours afterwards.
Satiety Power in Beans
This is due to their impressive satiety power - meaning that they will 'stick to your ribs' for a long time after you have eaten. Foods which are superior sources of fiber and protein generally hold good satiety powers.
Calorie per calorie, they stand up strong against their protein counterparts.
Calories in Pinto Beans Compared to Calories in Beef & Chicken
|
Pinto Beans 1/2 cup cooked |
3 ounces, raw - ground beef 30% fat, 70% lean |
Chicken Leg roasted, lean meat only |
|
About 117 Calories, 15 Protein Grams |
About 281 calories, 12 Protein Grams |
About 183 calories, 25.43 Protein Grams |
Healthy Facts About Beans & Your Diet Plan
Here are a few more really healthy things about beans in the daily diet:
Bean studies indicated that men who incorporated legumes into their daily diet along with other high fiber foods experienced a drop in bad cholesterol levels - as much as 60 points.
Beans can be prepared in so many ways and can enhance other recipes.
Add cooked brown beans to rice, add small black beans that have been drained to salads,and add kidney beans to chili and Mexican dishes.
You'll be adding a lot of flavor, fiber and nutrition to the recipes, as well as color without adding a plethora of calories or those naughty fat grams.
Bean soups can be created by cooking the beans, then cooling them so that they can be handled without the cook being at risk for burns.
Remove the beans from the liquid and whip to return to liquid. Next stir, salt, pepper, and then add a bit of chili powder if desired, and reheat. Or, mix up a spicy bean dip by whipping drained beans and adding a bit of sliced pickled jalapeno and a dash of chili powder.
Soybeans are also rich in protein, containing almost twice the protein that is found in most legumes.
Nutrition Facts, Calories in Soybeans, Steamed
|
Nutritional Elements |
Units |
100 grams |
1 cup |
| Energy, Calories |
kcals |
81 |
76 |
| Protein |
g |
8.47 |
7.96 |
| Carbohydrates |
g |
6.53 |
6.14 |
| Fiber, Dietary |
g |
0.8 |
0.8 |
| Sugars |
g |
0.43 |
0.40 |
| Total Fat |
g |
4.45 |
4.18 |
| Saturated Fat |
g |
0.617 |
0.580 |
| Monounsaturated Fat |
g |
1.009 |
0.948 |
| Polyunsaturated Fat |
g |
2.513 |
2.362 |
| Cholesterol |
mg |
0 |
0 |
| Minerals, Vitamins | |||
| Calcium |
mg |
59 |
55 |
| Iron |
mg |
1.31 |
1.23 |
| Magnesium |
mg |
60 |
56 |
| Phosphorus |
mg |
135 |
127 |
| Potassium |
mg |
355 |
334 |
| Sodium |
mg |
246 |
231 |
| Zinc |
mg |
1.04 |
0.98 |
| Vitamin C |
mg |
8.3 |
7.8 |
| Thiamin |
mg |
0.205 |
0.193 |
| Riboflavin |
mg |
0.053 |
0.050 |
| Niacin |
mg |
1.092 |
1.026 |
| Vitamin B-6 |
mg |
0.105 |
0.099 |
| Folate, DFE |
µg |
80 |
75 |
| Vitamin B-12 |
µg |
0.00 |
0.00 |
| Vitamin A, RAE |
µg |
2 |
2 |
| Vitamin A | IU |
40 |
38 |
| Vitamin E |
mg |
0.21 |
0.20 |
| Vitamin K |
µg |
33.0 |
31.0 |
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