Green beans: useful properties and recipes

Easy and tasty snack of string beans has become very popular among supporters of proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle. Young beans are a treasure trove of useful substances and have almost no contraindications, thanks to which they are included even in children's and dietary diets. What valuable properties this product has and how to use it, we will tell you in more detail.

Chemical Composition of green beans

The high dietary value of string beans lies in the valuable natural components, which it is rich in.

1. It contains healthy plant proteins, which are essential for the healthy functioning of the body.
2. The high content of dietary fiber provides cleansing of the intestines and normalization of peristalsis.
3. Complex carbohydrates provide energy for the whole day.

Rich vitamin composition allows you to keep your body and immune system in shape. The beans contain:

1. B vitamins, essential for nervous regulation and good metabolism.
2. Vitamin K, which ensures normal blood clotting.
3. Vitamin A and beta-carotene, which promote cell regeneration, maintain excellent vision and prevent the development of inflammation.
4. The strongest antioxidant, vitamin C, which strengthens and cleanses cells.
5. Vitamin E, which affects reproductive ability and keeps the skin beautiful and supple.

The mineral composition of young beans is represented by:

1. Magnesium, which supports the health of the nervous system.
2. Calcium, essential for proper heart function and maintaining the strength of bones and horny tissues.
3. Potassium, which stimulates the kidneys and normal heart rhythm.
4. Iron and copper, which are involved in hematopoiesis and support normal digestion.
5. Zinc, essential for healthy skin and hormonal balance.
6. Sulfur, which protects the body from poisoning.
7. Phosphorus, which takes part in nervous regulation, as well as manganese and other beneficial components.

It is important to know that green beans are rich in antioxidants, as well as arginine, an enzyme that helps to reduce blood sugar, thanks to which it can be consumed with diabetes.

Nutritional value and calories

Green beans, that is, young, not yet ripe pods, have a very low caloric value - only 25-30 kcal per 100 grams. It has almost no fat, but plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates. As the beans mature and are cooked, they gain calories, and this should be taken into account when formulating a dietary intake.

If you cook asparagus beans with oil, their energy value will increase significantly: in fried form up to 170 kcal, and in stewed form up to 130 kcal. The right combination of products will benefit: thanks to oils will be better absorbed fat-soluble vitamins, so the beans can safely be cooked in a butter sauce or under vegetable oil.

It is also important to know that beans contain specific poisonous compounds: like all plants, the legume crop protects its fruits. These poisons disintegrate during thermal processing, so it is impossible to eat beans in raw form, but it is necessary to boil or steam them for at least 15-20 minutes.

Useful properties of string beans

General benefits

Green beans are useful for the overall health and purification of the body. Its constant consumption will make you feel light, less distracted by feelings of hunger, replenish the minerals in the body.

1. It has anti-inflammatory properties, helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea, intestinal disorders and poisoning.
2. Helps fight colds and increases the body's resistance.
3. Strengthens the health of organs, stimulates tissue rejuvenation, removes toxins from the body, supporting kidney function.
4. Strengthens the nerves, helps the body recover from stress, hard work and emotional turmoil.
5. Supports the heart and vascular system.
6. Accelerates the metabolism and helps burn excess deposits.
7. Increases the elasticity of the skin and muscles, accelerates regeneration.
8. Supports a healthy blood composition.

The components of asparagus beans are natural to the body, so they are easily digested. However, overeating this product can slow down the absorption of some useful substances.

Note! Thanks to fiber, green beans establish a healthy digestion, so they are useful in the diet at any age.

For women

Women strive for slimness, so they are more often interested in weight loss diets. String beans are a great way to lose a few pounds, while remaining energetic and vigorous. Women who live in an active rhythm will appreciate the ability of asparagus pods to satiate the body, suppressing the feeling of hunger and allowing you to go about your business, forgetting about eating stress.

Also relevant for women is the property of beans to balance the emotional state and maintain hormonal balance. With the regular use of legumes girls experience fewer mood swings during menstruation and menopause, as well as during pregnancy.

For men

Men need zinc, which green beans are rich in, to prevent impotence and maintain prostate health. Regular inclusion of the product in the diet strengthens the heart and blood vessels, which is also very important for men, who are more likely to suffer from cardiac diseases. Beans help maintain a healthy metabolism and feel more energetic when exercising.

For pregnant and nursing women

For women who are pregnant and breastfeeding moms, string beans are a godsend in nutrition. It is very easy to digest without burdening the body, contains a lot of nutrients necessary for the development of the fetus and improve the quality of milk, as well as reduce harmful cholesterol, which should not enter the body of the child.

Beans will help to cope with mood swings, nausea during pregnancy, reduce the risk of constipation and hemorrhoids, will help avoid the formation of pigment spots on the skin. But you need to be careful: sometimes bean proteins cause allergic reactions, due to which you will have to give up the product.

At what age can I give green beans to children

It is green green beans, which does not actually cause allergies and indigestion, can be given to babies in the form of mashed potatoes from 8-10 months of life. The main thing is to boil the pods well and grind them into mush. A child will only need 1 teaspoon of mashed beans in combination with other vegetables. Beans can be given two times a week.

Be sure to monitor the reaction of the child's body. If you find an allergy, postpone familiarity with the vegetable.

String beans in medicine

Official medicine proposes to introduce green beans in the diet to improve health and warns in what diseases it is not allowed to eat them. For example, beans are recommended to eat for cardiovascular diseases, as well as for inflammatory processes.

For Diabetes Mellitus

Young fiber beans help burn excess fat deposits, as well as reducing blood sugar up to 40%, so it is recommended to patients with diabetes as a good staple. Not only does it help relieve the basic symptoms of the disease, but it also improves skin health by increasing its elasticity, maintaining normal vision and blood pressure.

Important: The glycemic index of green string beans is 30 units.

In pancreatitis

With inflammation of the pancreas and other digestive organs, it is not recommended to use beans. However, there is a useful recipe for an infusion of beanstalks: 50 grams of dry raw material is poured 0.5 liters of boiling water and insist 10-12 hours in a thermos. The dose is calculated individually, for this purpose it is necessary to consult a doctor.

With gastritis

Those who suffer from acute gastrointestinal diseases are not recommended to indulge in dishes with green beans. In small quantities, the product will not harm, but it can irritate sensitive mucous membranes, so before introducing it into the diet, you need to discuss the diet with your doctor.

Folk medicine recipes based on green beans

Mature bean pods are recognized by alternative medicine as effective remedies for treating many diseases. It can help with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis with reduced acidity, inflammatory diseases of the gallbladder and liver. Beans help with high blood pressure, weakness of the heart muscle, rheumatism. Not only the fruiting bodies of beans are used, but also the husks, which accumulated a lot of useful substances.

Pancreatitis
When problems with the pancreas, a decoction of bean capsules is effective, from which the inflammatory process is reduced, improving the well-being of the patient. Especially beneficial decoction can bring people who simultaneously suffer from pancreatitis and diabetes.

Recipe:

1. Take 50 g of dry corms (from mature beans), pour them into a thermos.
2. Boil 0.5 liters of water, pour it into a thermos.
3. Allow the mixture to stand for 10 hours.
4. Strain, shake before use.

The dose should be discussed with the attending physician, who prescribes the main treatment.

Diabetes mellitus.
Not only unconventional, but also official medicine recognizes string beans as effective for diabetes mellitus. It is used as an additional method of treatment to the main one - medication. It is proved that already 10 hours after using the tincture or juice, the blood sugar content is reduced by up to 40%. Under the influence of useful substances of beans, the body produces insulin, and sugar is converted into glycogen.

A solution with a high concentration of active ingredients is used for healing:

1. Take 3 cups of dry corms, grind them.
2. Pour the resulting dry base with 3 cups of water.
3. Bring to a boil, cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Decoction to strain, take 100 g four times a day for half an hour before a meal.

To use this method requires medical advice.

For ailments of the cardiovascular system
Infusion of the trusses is recommended to take to restore the normal performance of the circulatory system. To do this, you should take 1 large spoonful of dry stems and add to it a glass of hot water. You need to let the remedy stand for half an hour and consume one-third of a glass before a meal.

Bean juice for bursitis or mastopathy
String beans are excellent against these diseases, especially in the early stages. It eliminates redness and inflammation. It is necessary to take the juice of beans 2 times a day for 2 weeks, 100 ml. The healing effect of this remedy will not make you wait long.

The haricot bean for weight loss: benefits and uses

Due to the fact that the beans in pods are rich in valuable vegetable proteins and fiber, the product is actively used in dietary diets. It helps cleanse the intestines and restores a healthy metabolism. In addition, it helps you get full faster during meals and feel invigorated all day long.

Legumes are easy to digest and allow you to get rid of the feeling of heaviness or heartburn that many people get when eating meat products. Beans are highly recommended on wellness diets:

1. Diabetics and people with obesity to normalize blood composition and metabolism, and as a nutritious substitute for caloric foods.
2. People who have had heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases to replace cholesterol-laden foods and reduce the burden on the body.
3. In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract to normalize peristalsis and maintain normal acidity.
4. Vegetarians who voluntarily give up meat, eggs, dairy products.
5. Children for growth and development of the body.
6. When losing weight, especially on low-carbohydrate diets, to maintain energy.
7. In sports nutrition for lean and healthy muscle gain - many trainers recommend using this product.

The use of green beans helps to cleanse the body, has an antioxidant effect, and therefore has a rejuvenating effect. Beans are actively used in diets to unload the body, for the transition to a healthy lifestyle and for weight loss.

Usually this product replaces fatty meat and some of the egg components, because beans as well as they contain a full range of vitamins and minerals to keep the body healthy, while the beans have much fewer calories.

Thanks to the beans normalizes appetite, disappears traces of body fatigue, improves the skin, overall health and mood, strengthens the nervous system. That's why green beans are indispensable after the winter depression of the body.

It is recommended to consume vegetable protein food in the first half of the day, during the first meal or in lunch, otherwise the useful proteins will be worse absorbed. Bean breakfasts allow you to stay satiated for a long time and increase productivity during the work day, and during workouts increase endurance.

What can be made with string beans

As a dietary product, green beans are steamed: in this way, they retain all the useful components and come in an optimal condition for digestion. When boiling, the product loses some of its valuable substances, so green beans are usually only tackled in boiling water. Steamed beans have minimal calories, but they are usually served with oil and spices.

To make tasty dishes with beans, they can be stewed with other vegetables in a sauce. Beans go well with broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, celery, corn and other components. In addition, tasty pieces are added to first dishes: vegetable soups with smoked meats and hodgepodge.

Indian-style bean recipe

The pods are sliced and stewed with pieces of homemade paneer and carrots. Turmeric, garlic and a little ginger are added to the dish.

Omelette with green beans

The pods are chopped very finely diagonally, the same is done with leeks, chopped dill greens. Fry vegetables in oil and cover with beaten eggs. The dish is sprinkled with greens and, if desired, decorated with tomatoes.

Nourishing beans with mushrooms

Slices of green beans are stewed with onions, mushrooms are separately fried and mixed with vegetables. The dish is seasoned with rosemary and lemon juice.

How to prepare green beans for the winter

One of the additional valuable qualities of green asparagus beans is considered to be the convenience of its preparation. The product can be stored for a long time to enjoy healthy beans all year round. To save a maximum of useful properties and vitamins, the crop is frozen, but you can also preserve the beans at home without much hassle.

Freezing

To preserve the freshness of the product for a long time, you can store the beans in the freezer. To do this, the beans are sorted out and washed of plaque. It is best to freeze the pods in one piece: then they will not wilt, will not discolor, and will remain useful. If you like to prepare vegetables for stews, you can cut the pods into 2-3 cm pieces.

Put the raw material in a container or spread it on a film in the open and place it in the freezer for a few hours. Once completely frozen, the beans can be bagged or covered in a container and stored at about -18 ºC degrees. After defrosting, the beans will be as fresh.

Canning

Asparagus beans can be canned for the winter so they can be stored at room temperature. For this purpose, they can be salted or cooked in a sauce. In the first case, you get a semi-finished product. You need to sort and wash the beans, cut into slices of 2-3 cm and prepare a brine, as for peas: only salt and water. Some housewives add a pinch of sugar for full flavor. Neither spices nor acid in this case is necessary. The beans are boiled in brine and rolled in sterile jars.

Another option is a Korean-style pickling. For this, the chopped pods generously pour spices and vinegar, and then close in jars. The beans can be combined with carrots, wheat sprouts and soy products.

The third way is a stew. Beans are stewed in a sweet tomato sauce with the addition of garlic, onions, and spices. The result is a flavorful snack in the vein of lecho, lobio, or sauté. Such a delicious thing is closed for the winter: it perfectly complements the festive table and is suitable for every day.

Hazards and contraindications

Despite the fact that green beans carry a lot of useful properties, sometimes they cause individual discomfort. If you are prone to allergies to bean protein, you need to try the product with caution. Also in a clogged intestine, beans often cause bloating and gas.

Stringy varieties are notable for their high content of fairly coarse fiber, which can cause a feeling of heaviness. In addition, it is not recommended to combine beans with other starchy foods: flour and potato dishes - as well as meat, then the digestion process will go much easier.

Direct contraindications apply to people with kidney failure, nephritis, cystitis and gastrointestinal diseases - in such cases it is necessary to consult a doctor. But in general, the product is considered safe and dietary, which is why it is so popular in healthy eating programs around the planet.

How to choose and store green beans

To ensure that you do not get to your table a product grown with heavy fertilizers, buy string beans only in the summer period - the natural harvest season. If possible, of course, it is better to plant your own green beds with healthy beans.

When choosing, be sure to pay attention to the condition of the pods:

1. The beans should not have dark spots and damage, the characteristic spider webbing from fungus.
2. The pods should be fresh and juicy, evenly green (or yellow depending on the variety).
3. Green beans are sold young, so their peels are quite fleshy, but there are varieties that are sold dried out. The dried pods-crusts will have to be discarded, freeing the grains.
4. The pods should definitely have stalks, no cracks or breaks.

Fresh pods are stored in the refrigerator, in a vegetable container in a bag, separately from other vegetables. It is acceptable to store beans with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, but not earthy root vegetables. Green product can lie 5-7 days, after that the beans will dry out and become tough, so if you are not going to cook the vegetable in the near future, it is better to freeze it.

Dry varieties can be stored in cloth bags or in a jar to dry. But dishes made of beans do not spoil for quite a long time, so they can be cooked at the rate of several servings.

Interesting facts about green beans

In the ancient world, the bean was cultivated on several continents: Egypt, China, America. It was introduced to Europe as an ornamental garden plant, and only in the 18th century did they start using beans as food. Green beans in their pods were first tried by the Italians, who were always famous for their well-balanced cuisine.

The younger the pods, the fleshier and juicier the walls of their crusts, and as the beans swell in this nutrient medium the rinds dry out and become thinner. Grain beans are rich in starch and more caloric, while fresh young "tails" contain pure proteins, healthy compounds and water.

The light meal can be used in mono diets, as green pods contain a basic complex of vitamins and minerals, while not boring in the diet and easily digested.

If you have not yet introduced asparagus bean dishes into your diet, be sure to try them for a change, and perhaps they will become your favorite treat.

Photo of string beans