Best beans?

[Red]

Beans are a pretty fundamental part of any vegan diet. I eat beans pretty much every day, usually drained from a can, since the juice in there is yucky and metallic tasting.

My favorite beans are black and kidney, which I just drain then throw in the microwave for a few minutes. I used to hate beans at first but now I love them. I sometimes have baked beans but they're often too sweet so I don't eat them that much.

[Jebus]

Don't buy cans. They are pretty bad for the environment. It's a lot more expensive, too.

[PunkRockVegan]

Soybeans (in the form of tofu), chickpeas, pinto and black are my favs.

Don't buy cans. They are pretty bad for the environment. It's a lot more expensive, too.

Can you expand on this? I buy a lot of canned stuff.

[brimstoneSalad]

@Jebus About 70-ish percent of the energy is recovered from metal recycling. Not sure how that compares to the bags you can buy instead and the additional energy used at home to cook them. If we had the weight of the packaging vs. the beans inside we could probably calculate it. I would guess the cans are worse, but probably not by a lot if recycled.

You're right about the cans being more expensive.

Oh, yeah, and lentils are probably the best nutritionally, along with black beans. Lentils are also easier to cook if you're starting from dry, but it's an acquired taste.

[Red]

Oh, yeah, and lentils are probably the best nutritionally, along with black beans. Lentils are also easier to cook if you're starting from dry, but it's an acquired taste.

Is it a good idea to drain them? I've been told that the gooey shit in the cans is where a lot of the nutrients are, but I'm skeptical. I also drain them to get rid the metallic taste.

Oh yeah, and what's the best way to prepare beans? Again, I just drain them then toss them in the microwave for a few minutes and they come out fine. And how often would you recommend baked beans? Those are quite sugary, so I don't eat them as much.

[Jebus]

@Jebus About 70-ish percent of the energy is recovered from metal recycling. Not sure how that compares to the bags you can buy instead and the additional energy used at home to cook them. If we had the weight of the packaging vs. the beans inside we could probably calculate it. I would guess the cans are worse, but probably not by a lot if recycled.

I buy my beans and lentils in bulk. I bring my own bag and it is very cheap. Unfortunately, there is no metal can recycling where I live, but even where there is I'm assuming they are significantly worse than plastic bags. The added weight during transport should also be considered.