Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Cooking Dry Beans

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In addition to using canned beans, you can cook dry beans at homes. This is budget-friendly way to add beans to your favorite salad, soup or side dish. Cooking your beans at home can add variety to your beans by using different spices to flavor them. Find out what you need by watching this video from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Quick Steps: 

  1. Remove debris
  2. Soak
    1. Overnight – place a pot in room temperature water. Make sure to leave room in the pot as the beans will expand!
    2. Boil – Bring a pot of water with the beans to a boil, remove from the heat and let soak for 1 – 2 hours.
  3. Discard water and rinse beans.
  4. Cook
    1. Cover the beans with fresh water – about 6 cups per pound of beans.
    2. Add seasonings but hold off on salt and acidic foods until end of cooking.
    3. Add a quarter teaspoon of oil to keep water from foaming.
    4. Partially cover and simmer until done. Time will depend on type of bean.

Learn more from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics here.

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Reducing Sodium in Canned Beans

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Canned vegetables and beans are a great way to include cheap nutrient-dense foods to your eating pattern. However, many people think they are bad. Why is this?

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Sodium! Many canned foods have sodium in them because it helps preserve the food for the shelf. In just a couple of steps, you can reduce the sodium of your canned beans (and other canned vegetables). The best way to reduce the sodium is to:

  • rinse the beans for about 10 seconds under lukewarm water1 and then
  • drain the beans for about 2 minutes1

Even though you are reducing sodium, other vitamins and minerals are not lost during rinsing and draining!2 So go ahead and buy the canned beans from your local grocery store if you are short time!

1. Jones JB, Mount JR. Sodium reduction in canned bean varieties by draining and rinsing. Presented at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting; June 6–10, 2009; Anaheim, CA. 2009.

2. Haytowitz DB.  Effect of draining and rinsing on the sodium and water soluble vitamin content of canned vegetables. Nutrient Data Lab, USDA-ARS-BHNRC; FASEB Journal, 25:609.3, 2011.

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Baking is a Science

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While baking can be a fun activity, did you know that baking is a science? Each week, there is a new recipe from Dinner Tonight to try. If it didn’t come out just right, here are few tips and tricks to make your next recipe a success!

  • Read the Recipe – Look at the measurements of each ingredient to make sure you use the right amount of every ingredient. Make to properly measure ingredients to get an exact measurement.
  • Use the right ingredients – each ingredient has certain properties that allow chemical reactions to happen that help make your recipe successful.
  • Follow the instructions – Complete your recipe in the order given in the directions. The order in which you do things may alter your recipe.

If you don’t have many baking recipes, stay tuned for a “Pecan Coffee Cake” recipe on Friday!

 

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How to Keep a Cold Lunch Cold

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Now that school is back in session, many children are packing a meal to take with them. Cold lunches can get hot sitting out for a few hours before lunchtime, allowing bacteria to grow that could make the lunch unsafe to eat. The proper cooling system is key for ensuring that the meal packed for your child will be safe for consumption at lunch. Following these necessary tips and tricks will help you to achieve that goal.

Wanting to know more about back to school food safety information, visit foodsafety.gov.

Check out these lunch recipes!

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What Is Gluten-Free

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Pick any aisle in your local grocery store and you will see many packages with “gluten-free” labels. Or maybe you have a friend who requires to eat “gluten-free” foods. Gluten-free foods and products are made available for specific individuals who require foods without gluten.

 

What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and their various forms such as triticale. It gives structure to baked goods and can be used for a thickening agent or flavor enhancer.

Who should avoid eating gluten?
Most people do not have a problem with gluten. However for some people, eating foods with gluten can make eating foods a little less pleasant. People who have been diagnosed with celiac disease, a gluten sensitivity, or in some cases people who have severe wheat allergies should choose foods labeled “gluten-free”. A 100% gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease today.

What is Celiac?
Celiac disease is a condition in which gluten damages the lining in the small intestine and keeps certain foods from being used for food. The disease is diagnosed by a medical professional using a blood test and intestinal biopsy.

Gluten-Free Foods
What types of foods should a person who cannot eat gluten choose? The following foods are considered gluten-free:

  • All plain meat, poultry, fish, and eggs (does not include breading or gravies)
  • Milk, butter, margarine, cheese, and plain yogurt
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Legumes and nuts
  • Corn and rice
  • Gluten-free oats (oats not processed or in contact with gluten containing foods), hominy, and buckwheat
  • Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, they can be contaminated with gluten if they are processed and distributed with other grains that contain gluten. Always check the ingredients label for information on whether or not a food contains gluten.

Gluten Free Foods and Health
Many people believe not eating foods with gluten is a more healthy option. The fact is many foods which are gluten-free are not enriched with essential vitamins and minerals as other gluten containing foods. Following a healthy eating pattern which includes reducing foods high in saturated, trans fat, sodium, and added sugar is the best option for a healthier you!

Bottom line, people with Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and those with severe wheat allergies should not eat foods made with gluten. If you think you might have one of these conditions, speak with your doctor before removing foods containing gluten.

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