Fiber in Black Beans Calculator – Daily Intake Tracker

Black beans, those little dark beans, show up everywhere in the kitchens of Latin America, and you also will find them in all cajun and creole meals of south Louisiana. What gives them that big range? They have gentle taste, are soft and creamy, without any strong flavor.

Rather than overwhelm the whole dish, they absorb all tastes that surround them, and so they work for almost everything.

How to Cook and Use Black Beans

From a nutrition viewpoint, these beans punch above their weight. Half a cup gives around 7 grams of protein which is a good amount. Move that up to a full cup of cooked black beans, and you have around 227 calories.

The same portion brings 15 grams of fiber, about 41 grams of carbs in total and almost no fat (less than one gram). It truly matters to note that everything works together: the fiber, the potassium, the folate and vitamin B6 work with lower cholesterol to help the heart. The fiber itself helps to reduce the toatl cholesterol in your blood.

Also, those beans are full of antioxidants, that can help with weight loss and keep your stomach happy. Even so, start with smaller portions if you can, if you want to escape the bloating and gases, that sometimes appear.

They naturally work as a base for tacos, enchiladas or any dish with southwest style. The Cuban kind of black beans, frijoles negros, are not spicy; they simply are surprisingly delicious. Bell peppers show up in many Cuban meals, and honestly, every family prepares their beans a bit differently according to their likes.

Some hear a sweet touch, others stress the garlic or the cumin. And there are simple versions, where only the smell of the bay leaf is enough.

Canned black beans save time, because they already are cooked, seasoning is truly your only task. Rinse and drain them before is a clear idea. With dried beans, soaking matters only if you have old stocks, that sat their while around two years or more.

What truly helps, is boil the cooking liquid well before you start. A good way is to soak the dried black beans in water for eight to twelve hours, then drain them and cook with salt, garlic and bay leaf.

The simplest way? Cook them nicely in olive oil for some minutes (that makes them more creamy). Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf or oregano, and the taste adjusts right away.

Slow cooking makes them almost meaty. While they cool, the texture actually thickens.

Black beans fit in more meals than one first would think. Soups, burritos, rice bowls, quesadillas… They work everywhere.

Bread from black bean dough with oat flour and spices gets nice crust with soft middle. Black bean burgers also work well. Bean dip comes together in minutes with only spices, lime juice and diced canned jalapeños.

Even chocolate brownies and cupcakes benefit from black beans hidden inside, clever way to boost nutrition. The liquid from canned beans? Keep it instead of dumping; otherwise you lose taste and nutrition.

Black beans also are friendly for gardens among growers. They need little effort, give manyharvests and truly improve your ground by adding nitrogen.