Beans

[Cirion Spellbinder]

So my younger brother (age 10) has gone vegetarian and been so for approximately one month. He has been eating mock meats and dairy products as his primary source of protein, which is not ideal. He has tried pinto beans and black beans and absolutely despises their tastes to the extent where he refuses to eat them. Besides other variants of beans, are there any other good sources of protein I can introduce to him? He is willing to try new things, but can be somewhat picky. Thank you for your support and help!

[miniboes]

I am quite a picky eater myself, and don't really enjoy the taste of the generic bean myself. I do really like green beans (they are more like vegetables) and have come to like chickpeas. Lentils are very nice for somebody that does not like beans but wants their nutrients anyway, since you can't taste them at all if you mix them with other foods.

You can find plenty of protein in whole grains, nuts and peanut butter. Beans have many benefits besides protein, however, so he might want to learn eating at least some variety of beans anyway.

[brimstoneSalad]

As long as he doesn't eat a lot of low protein foods (like white/brown rice or white/yellow corn, or sweet fruit), he doesn't really need to eat beans at all. Beans are high protein, and very good for you aside from that, but high protein foods are technically unnecessary unless you are diluting your diet with empty calories (or nearly empty calories).

But I would say, try different types. Also try roasted (crunchy!) beans. Chickpeas, if you boil them first, then toss them with olive oil and salt and some spice and spread them on a cookie sheet and roast them at a low temperature in the oven until they're crunchy are very good snacks, and not very bean-like.

And try to flavor them more strongly to cover them up, and use fewer of them at first.
Also, be sure to puree them with other things for dips.

Beans are very versatile. Possibly more versatile than ten year olds are picky.

[Jebus]

Are canned beans in tomato sauce as healthful as home cooked beans?

[brimstoneSalad]

Are canned beans in tomato sauce as healthful as home cooked beans?

I don't imagine that there's an extraordinarily large difference. Although some brands add enormous amounts of sugar.

They are much more expensive, and the can is probably worse for the environment.

If the can is steel, and not coated, it may be leeching nickel into the beans. Some people are reported to have nickel allergies (not sure if it's a "true allergy" or not), so that could be something to consider. And if it IS coated in some kind of plastic, you're likely getting traces of contamination from that. The longer something sits in a container, the more likely it will be contaminated from the composition of its container.

I eat canned products sometimes, but not often. When I do, I go for the plastic coating, not so much because I have evidence that it's better, as I can't stand the metallic taste.
I'd go for a glass container over either, though, if available. I also re-use glass containers, often for years (I have thrown very few away).


EDIT: Alas, I found Dr. Greger did a video on this subject:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2014/09/25/ar ... me-cooked/
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/canned- ... ked-beans/

Spoiler: He says it's about the same, as I guessed. But, much more expensive.
I don't worry as much about sodium, but that is a factor to consider too.

[miniboes]

He says it's about the same, as I guessed. But, much more expensive.

You mean the home-cooked are more expensive, right? Because here in NL canned beans are like 1/3rd of the price of raw ones.

[brimstoneSalad]

He says it's about the same, as I guessed. But, much more expensive.

You mean the home-cooked are more expensive, right? Because here in NL canned beans are like 1/3rd of the price of raw ones.

Canned are more expensive.

Raw beans should be cheaper; if they aren't, something weird is going on.
You can't go by weight. Raw beans are dry, and cans are full of water.

Check the nutrition facts, and compare the protein per 'dollar'.

[miniboes]

He says it's about the same, as I guessed. But, much more expensive.

You mean the home-cooked are more expensive, right? Because here in NL canned beans are like 1/3rd of the price of raw ones.

Canned are more expensive.

Raw beans should be cheaper; if they aren't, something weird is going on.
You can't go by weight. Raw beans are dry, and cans are full of water.

Check the nutrition facts, and compare the protein per 'dollar'.

Canned beans really are much cheaper here, there is very little water in the cans I buy actually. The beans are moist, but it's not full of water. All the raw beans are organic though, so that might explain it.

[brimstoneSalad]

Are the raw beans dried, or no?

Organic might explain it.

Compare the protein per dollar on a can of beans, vs a bag or them. You can't assume anything about the water content.
Even just dried vs. soaked beans have a huge difference in water content.