The Beauty of Cooking

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Green beans are plentiful and still in season, especially the pole beans that produce bountiful amounts throughout September and into early October. Aside from the great cost savings if you planted these in your garden, a ground-breaking study that looked at numerous foods says beans are high-octane sources of antioxidants. And when pitted against other antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, this mighty vegetable came out at the top of the pack.

The “common bean” also known as green beans is slowly being pushed in the spotlight. Green beans are some of the healthiest vegetables that you can add to your diet. Whether you prefer eating them raw, boiled or stir- fried, these power greens are packed full of nutrients that can help you boost your health. They are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, silicon, manganese and fiber. Studies show that besides providing major nutrients, beans serve as a rich source of bioactives in the daily diet which might help in controlling disease conditions.

COLUMN: Green Beans for Glowing Skin

Still not convinced?

If you’re trying to lose weight, eating green beans will provide abundant amounts of vitamins and minerals without adding excess calories into your diet. Not only that, but beans are also a great source of moisture. So when you combine whole grains with this vegetable, you can minimize your use of added fats to moisten the grains and while getting the extra fiber benefits the grains provide. This multifunctional vegetable will definitely be a great addition to your weight-loss plan. And what better way to start, than with this quick-and-easy recipe for vegetable rice. This is a great example how the moisture in the vegetables, especially the green beans, will add moisture to the brown rice decreasing the need to add extra calorie loaded fats to provide moisture. 

Vegetable Rice:

Makes 4 Servings –  Serving Size: ½ cup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ cup Sweet Onion - small diced
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Garlic - fine chopped
• ½ cup Red Pepper - small diced
• ½ cup Yellow Pepper - small diced
• ½ cup Zucchini - small diced
• 1 cup Blanched Greens Beans - cross cut to small dice size
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper - coarse ground
• 1 cup Cooked Brown Rice
• 1 each Fresh Lemon - zest

QUIZ: Did You Eat for Beauty Today?

Procedure:

In 12” sauté pan add and heat oil, then add onions and sauté until onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one minute, then add peppers and zucchini and sauté until just tender. Add green beans, salt, pepper and mix well and then add brown rice, lemon zest, mix well again and sauté until thoroughly heated and serve.

Enjoy this low- calorie, low- fat vegetable anywhere, anytime.Choose your food wisely; take advantage of those powerful beautifying antioxidants and look good doing it!

Precious Lopez contributed to this column.