2 Super Easy Ways to Eat More Beans:

 Okay, I know. I know. Beans may not be everyone's favorite food in the world. But seriously, they are so.good. for. you. And they are cheap, and they are one very easy way to incorporate a meatless meal into your week. We eat a lot of beans around here, but honestly, that only started about a year and a half ago, and before that, I probably could have counted on my hands how many times I'd eaten them in my married life.

So I started out buying canned beans. Chickpeas and black beans, namely. (I don't love kidney beans, do you?) But of course, it didn't take long for me to realize that those are probably not the best option, because they have been sitting in a can with some sodium for who knows how long. So anyways, I decided that was it. I had to just suck it up and buy them bulk and soak them. I tried that and it just seemed to take FOREVER, and yet still, they never seemed really nice to eat. This certainly did not make me want to use them! But, my friends, there was hope. I figured out some ways to make it way easier.

Alright, so here are two ways to help you get more beans into your diet:

1. Slow Cooker Beans: I'm not kidding when I tell you that this is brilliant. Pour some bulk, uncooked beans into your slow cooker, and then cover them with 3-4 inches with water. Any kind, doesn't matter how many, the same rule applies. Then put it on high for approx 3 hours. That's it. No soaking, no extra cooking. They come out perfect, even chick peas, which are notorious for being really, really slow to cook. The only thing about this, I suppose, is that you have to be around to double check things. I'd add more water if you are planning to be out, because that won't hurt any.  And always remember, no matter how you cook beans, not to add any salt until you have cooked them or they will become tough and even more difficult to work with. blech.( And oh yes, I did this a million times before I figured it out!)

2. Once you have your beans, of course you can do anything with them. But chickpeas are awesome. Because you can roast them. And they are so good! Set oven to 400 degrees and cover chickpeas with olive oil and salt or garlic salt and/or paprika. Roast for about 30-40 minutes. They are crunchy and salty and so not like a bean.

Not convinced? You can always just scrap the above ideas and throw a bunch into a chocolate cake. Whatev.