Serve More Dry Beans & Peas for Healthier Schools

Dry beans and peas are an inexpensive way to boost the nutritional content of school meals!

Key Issues:

• Dietary fiber from dry beans and peas (legumes) are part of a healthy diet and help to lower the risk of heart disease
• Dry beans & peas:
• Are excellent sources of plant protein
• Provide other nutrients such as iron, potassium, folate, and zinc.
• Are naturally low in fat and sodium.
• Have no saturated fat or cholesterol.
• The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating three cups of beans a week, based on a 2,000 calorie meal plan.

Recipe for Success:

• Choose the easiest form! Use canned, pre-cooked beans to simplify recipes and reduce cooking times.
• Power up recipes with more beans! Add dry-packed or canned beans and peas when preparing casseroles, stews, and side dishes. Make chili more interesting by combining kidney and pinto beans.
• Serve satisfying soups. Attract students and teachers with low-sodium split pea, lentil, minestrone, or white bean soup, Use pureed beans to thicken soups and sauces.
• Spice up your menus with Southwest flair! Offer black bean enchiladas, low-far refried beans, or tacos with whole pinto beans.
• Have a bean taste test! Let students sample dishes that use dry beans and peas as a main ingredient. Some ideas include: Veggie burgers, Taco Pizza with refried beans, Cowboy Beans, Hummus, or Lentil Pilaf.
• Spruce up the salad bar! Offer canned garbanzo beans, red kidney beans, black beans, or a mixture of all three!
• Use colorful garnishes like dices fresh green pepper or red pepper rings to ad eye appeal and showcase your favorite bean dishes.
• Bring back a classic! Pair baked beans as a side dish with oven-baked chicken to bring back memories of a summer cookout!

Did You Know?

• MyPyramid includes dry beans and peas in both the Vegetable Group and the Meat and Beans Group. Beans and other legumes count as either a vegetable or as a meat alternate, but not as both in the same meal.
• Rinsing and draining pre-cooked canned beans reduces the sodium content. Or, soak and cook bagged dry beans without adding salt.
• Dry beans and peas provide an excellent source of plant protein and fiber, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc. Americans, especially children, often do not get enough of these nutrients.

Source: teamnutrition.usda.gov