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Navy-Beans
Navy-Beans ~ Natures Super Foods
Navy-Beans
The navy bean got its current popular name because it was a staple food of the United States Navy in the early 20th century.
These small white legumes are perfect for making baked beans.
Dry navy beans are available year-round in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins.
Canned navy beans are also available year round at local markets.
Navy beans are small, pea-sized super beans that are creamy white in color. They're mild-flavored, dense and smooth.
Like other common beans, navy beans are one of 13,000 species of the family of legumes, or plants that produce edible pods.
Combined with whole grains such as rice, navy beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein.
Health Benefits of Navy-Beans
Navy beans are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other super beans.
In addition to lowering cholesterol, navy beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these legumes an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.
But this is far from all navy beans have to offer.
They're a very good source of folate and manganese and a good source of protein and vitamin B1 as well as the minerals phosphorous, copper, magnesium and iron.
Navy-Beans ~ A Fiber All Star
Check a chart of the fiber content in foods and you'll see legumes leading the pack.
Navy beans, like other beans, are rich in dietary fiber.
A cup of cooked navy beans provides 46.6% of the recommended daily intake for fiber.
Lower Your Heart Attack Risk
Navy beans' contribution to heart health lies not just in their fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate and magnesium these beans supply.
It's been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value (DV) of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%.
Just one cup of cooked navy beans provides 63.7% of the recommended daily intake for folate.
Navy beans' good supply of magnesium puts yet another plus in the column of its beneficial cardiovascular effects.
Magnesium is Nature's own calcium channel blocker
When there's enough magnesium around, veins and arteries breathe a sigh of relief and relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
Studies show that a deficiency of magnesium is not only associated with heart attack but that immediately following a heart attack, lack of sufficient magnesium promotes free radical injury to the heart.
Want to literally keep your heart happy?
Eat navy beans, a one cup serving provides over one-quarter (26.8%) of your daily needs for magnesium.
Potassium, an important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including the heart, is another mineral that is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.
Navy beans are ready to promote your cardiovascular health by being a good source of this mineral, too.
A one cup serving of navy beans provides 669.8 mg of potassium and only 1.82 mg of sodium, making these beans an especially good choice to protect against high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.
Navy-Beans ~ Iron for Energy
In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, navy beans can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores.
Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency.
Copper & Manganese ~ More Help with Energy Production Plus Antioxidant Defenses
Navy beans are a very good source of manganese and a good source of copper.
Maintain Your Memory with Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
Thiamin participates in enzymatic reactions central to energy production and is also critical for brain cell/cognitive function.
This is because thiamin is needed for the synthesis of acetylcholine, the important neurotransmitter essential for memory and whose lack has been found to be a significant contributing factor in age-related impairment in mental function (senility) and Alzheimer's disease.
Description of Navy-Beans
Navy beans are small, pea-sized beans that are creamy white in color.
They're a mild-flavored bean that is dense and creamy.
Nutritional Profile
Navy beans are a very good source of both folate and manganese.
They're also a good source of many minerals including phosphorous, magnesium, iron, and copper.
In addition, navy beans are a good source of dietary fiber, protein and vitamin B1.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Make a delicious sandwich spread by blending cooked navy beans in a food processor with olive or flax oil and your favorite herbs and spices.
Add a protein punch to tomato soup by serving it with some pre-cooked navy beans mixed throughout.
Mix cooked navy beans with olive oil, sage and garlic and serve on bruschetta.
Combine navy beans with cooked roasted buckwheat and healthy sautéed onions and shiitake mushrooms for a hearty main dish.
Use navy beans to make delicious and nutritious white chili.
Add cooked and cooled navy beans to a salad of leeks and chard and top with a rosemary vinaigrette.
Zesty Bean Dip & Chips
It also works well as a sandwich spread with your favorite vegetables and a sprinkle of cheese. Servings: 1 serving
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Health: Low Cholesterol, Healthy Weight
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fat-free canned refried legumes 1 tablespoon salsa
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 minced scallion (optional)
1 ounce tortilla chips (about 10)
Preparation:
1: Combine refried beans, salsa, cilantro and scallion (if using) in a bowl.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Nutrition: (Per serving)
Calories - 210 Carbohydrates - 30 Fat - 7 Saturated Fat - 1 Monounsaturated Fat - 2 Protein - 5 Cholesterol - 5 Dietary Fiber - 4 Potassium - 73 Sodium - 362
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