Pinto Bean Nutrition Tidbit

Pinto beans contain the highest amount of fiber out of all beans, so get your fill!

The Nutritional Benefits of Wild Oats Organic Pinto Beans:

Nutritionally Authentic:

USDA Certified Organic food product

Nutritionally Affordable:

Fat-free, cholesterol-free

High in antioxidants and fiber, available at an affordable price

An inexpensive protein source

Nutritionally Accessible:

Shelf-stable pantry solution, easy to store and use quickly in recipes, such as soups, stews, chili, dips and casseroles.

Medical Nutrition Therapy Tips and Solutions:

Pregnancy: Pinto beans are high in B vitamins, especially folate. Folate helps prevent against neurodegenerative diseases and birth defects.

Anemia: Black beans are high in iron, and eating foods rich in iron prevents against anemia.

Brain Function: B vitamins in pinto beans help improve brain function and memory.

Cancer: Consuming beans may lower your risk for certain types of cancer.

Constipation: Beans are naturally high in fiber, so they great way to add bulk to stools and maintain a healthy digestive track.

Diabetes: Pinto beans have a nice balance of carbohydrates and fiber, so they won’t spike blood sugar rapidly.

Heart Health: Beans are naturally cholesterol free. Eating high fiber foods can prevent against heart disease.

High Blood Pressure: Rinse canned beans to wash away added sodium.

Vegetarians: They are an excellent source of protein for vegetarians.

We usually like to make a meal with our Organic Penne Rigate Pasta, but today we’re having a little fun with them. Can you guess how many noodles we fit in the jar? Share your guess for a chance to win a Wild Oats prize pack. Just comment with your number on our Twitter or Facebook page and you’re automatically entered!

To share on Facebook, simply comment on our Mission Monday post by 8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET tonight to be entered to win!

To share on Twitter, tweet us with #WildOatsMission and #sweeps by 8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET tonight to be entered to win!

Full Sweepstakes rules and details can be found here: bit.ly/1DoNN9U

Baked Beans Cooking Tidbit

Baked beans are usually stewed, not baked, in a sauce. Since they are fully cooked, canned baked beans can be eaten hot, cold, or straight out of the can!

July is National Baked Beans Month! According to the US Dry Bean Council, “Americans consumed 50 million pounds of baked beans during the month of July. That’s enough to build a trail of bean cans longer than Historic Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago.”

Wild Oats offers a nutritious, organic canned version of baked beans, Wild Oats Organic Chili Beans in Sauce. These beans can be easily used as a side dish with barbequed foods, such as chicken, steak or vegetables, or served as a snack along with Wild Oats Organic Corn Tortilla Chips.

Baked beans are also very easy to make from scratch, are nutritious, and all kinds of beans have been traditionally used to make different culturally appropriate recipes. For example, the British eat baked beans on toast for breakfast- the toast when combined with the beans forms a complete protein, stabilizing hunger longer than toast eaten plain or with jam.

Here is a super easy to make delicious “baked” bean dish that is not baked at all! It only takes 10 minutes to prepare, pairs well with all types of food, and can be served at room temperature at your next family and friends gathering.

Baked Black Beans

Makes 4-6 Side Dish Servings

1 can Wild Oats Organic Black Beans

½ cup Wild Oats Organic Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Wild Oats Organic Jalapeno Hot Sauce

1 Tablespoon Wild Oats Steak Sauce

1/2 Teaspoon Wild Oats Organic Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Wild Oats Organic Onion Powder

¼ cup grade A organic maple syrup

4 pieces all-natural bacon, sliced into ¼ inch pieces

In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, cook sliced bacon down halfway, until some oil seeps out. Add all the other ingredients, starting with the beans. Stir together, and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a storage container and let cool. Enjoy hot, cold or room temperature.

Beans all of kinds have nutritional benefits, including lowering your risk for cancer, can help manage diabetes, and are a heart-healthy vegetarian protein source. They are a healthier choice for a side dish at barbeques than fried foods or foods with a lot of saturated fat. Here is some additional information on the health benefits of Wild Oats organic beans and canned tomatoes:

https://wildoats1.wpengine.com/blog-posts/the-nutritional-benefits-of-wild-oats-organic-black-beans/

https://wildoats1.wpengine.com/blog-posts/the-nutritional-benefits-of-wild-oats-organic-dark-red-kidney-beans/

https://wildoats1.wpengine.com/blog-posts/the-nutritional-benefits-of-wild-oats-organic-garbanzo-beans/

https://wildoats1.wpengine.com/blog-posts/nutritional-benefits-of-wild-oats-organic-canned-tomatoes/

Since June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, it’s the perfect time to focus on eating better. We have found the easiest way to incorporate more vegetables and fruit into your diet is to try new recipes. If you are looking for some new recipes, the Wild Oats Pinterest Boards are a great place to start. The Spring and Summer Recipes Board is full of delicious possibilities. And Smoothies are the perfect way to get lots of fruit and vegetables packed into a single drink.

One of the best things about Summer is all the fresh vegetables and fruits, especially if they are grilled. Although grilling vegetables seems pretty simple, sometimes it can be tricky.

Whether you grow your own, hit up the Farmer’s Market or make a trip to the grocery store, there is no shortage of great vegetables that are perfect for grilling. We have grilled a variety of vegetables including zucchini, tri-colored peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and onions. Grilling vegetables can be done a number of ways, and we have found a few tricks that will make your grilling super easy and create delicious results every time.

To add a splash of flavor we like to use Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.  Add the dressing to a spray bottle to make it easier to spritz the vegetables while you are grilling them.

We have also found that adding the same vegetables on the skewers and not mixing them up, makes grilling them easier. Vegetables vary the amount of time it takes to cook. So having them separated on their own skewers allows you to grill them to perfection.

Give the vegetable kabobs a good spritz with the dressing several times while you are grilling them, and finish them with one final spritz prior to removing them from the grill.

And one last tip for grilling the perfect Summer vegetables – when you cut the onion, first peel the onion whole, then cut it into half and then each half into quarters making sure to leave the root and shoot ends on and in tact, that way when you are preparing and grilling the onions they won’t fall apart.

Grilling fruits is also really easy and adds a lot of flavor to the dish you are preparing. By grilling fruit you can concentrate the flavors of the fruit by reducing the water in the fruit and caramelizing the natural sugars. Hard fruits like apples, pears, pineapples and lemons are the easiest to grill since they hold their shape.

We grilled lemons and then made Lemonade with them and it was truly the best I have ever had. When we grill pineapple, we like to cut it into thick slices, and brush it with a little honey. It grills to a sweet and juicy perfection!

Now that Summer is here are you looking for a light recipe that will help you stay on track with your fitness plans? If so, check out Censie’s Cucumber Avocado Salad Recipe featuring Wild Oats Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Censie is a blogger based in Denver, Colorado who is excited to find affordable organics from Wild Oats. Here is what she says about the brand:

“Currently, we can enjoy Wild Oats products by heading to either Walmart or Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market.  Now you CAN afford to eat right!  The products are high quality and yummy!  All of us have been impressed with the food and now I that I know about the products I have found them at my local Walmart and guess what?  We CAN afford them.”

Check out Censie’s post about Wild Oats and her delicious Cucumber Avocado Salad Recipe!