NutritionDoc

Add another perk to "the Peanut".  Not only does the humble legume have healthy monounsatureted fat, but it also rivals many fruits in its levels of antioxidants, the compounds that help protect cells from damaging oxygen molecules. Researchers at the University of Florida also found that roasting appears to increase the number of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant, by up to 22 percent.  Hey - it is okey to go nuts.

For Indian bean dishes you might want to try Tasty Bite, Kohinoor and Deep indian Gourment products.  Their lentil, chickpea and kidney bean dishes are done just like in Calcutta, Madras or Delhi.Fantastic makes several falafel mixes that are quick and easy.  And don't forget bean salads.  Most canned bean salads pale in comparison to homemade. Salty over cooked green and waxed beans and vinegar soaked kidney beans may be all that register in your brain. Trader Joe's refeshingly tangy Marinated Bean Salad breaks the mold. Maybe it is the romano beans and chickpeas instead of waxed and green beans. Maybe it is the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and spices. If there is no Trader Joe's near you, just wait, the chain is in 19 states and counting.  Beans in soup have been around forever.  But if you want beans as a main dish for your family, and you want them to taste homemade, try a soup mix. Each package consists of dried beans, seasoning and a sprinkling of dried vegatables that come to  life as they are cooked. Some ask you to add chicken broth (use low sodium - fat free) And most call for chopped onions, celery, carrots etc. Bean Cuisine's 9 soups are a real find. You have to do your share of chopping, sauteing, and waiting while the soup simmers. but that just gives the spice packets time to surrender their rich, seductive secrets.  Food is your friend - enjoy!

If you grew up eating beans only baked or in chili, you may not have the slightest idea what to do with them. It does not help to know that they are a high fiber, low fat, vitamin packed source of protein if you wander through the bean aisle clueless. Yet from pasta e fagioli to falafel, from chana masala to lentil pilaf, there is a world of great tasting packaged bean dishes out there. Beans are darn near perfect. A half cup provides 5 to  8 grams of fiber - roughly a quarter of a day's worth. But once you get into canned beans, the sodium starts to climb. Unless you go with a no salt added brand, every half cup typically packs 250 to 500 milligrams of sodium. That can put a dent in your 2400 mg daily max. Pick up the lowest sodium brand you can find and rinse. Just 1 minute in a strainer under the cold water tap can wash away a quarter to a third of the sodium. Refried beans - don't let the name scare you. Canned refried beans are generally low in fat. Unfortunately, some are also low in flavor. Pick up a can of Amy's Organic Refried Beans with Green Chiles or Trader Jose Fat Free Salsa Style Refried Pinto Beans or Goya Rancheros Refried Pinto Beans = taste delight. If your can opener's busted, try a box of Fantastic Instand Refried Beans. Just add water and let sit for 5 minutes. What to do with refried beans? Serve them over rice, wrap them in a whole-wheat tortilla for a homemade burrito, or scoop them up with trans-free tortilla chips. Quick, easy, nutritious and tasty , geeeeeeez what more do you want?

"Try one of our six great large pizza combinations, all under 4.5 grams of fat per serving, or create your own", offers Pizza Hut's Web site. "six under 4.5" does not quite have the ring of Subway's "seven under six" - that is seven subs with less than six grams of fat each.  Of course, one sub will fill you up. No one stops after one slice of pizza.  But who cares? Any pizza chain that is willing to slim down its dishes deserves a pat on the menu.  Thanks to less cheese and a Thin'N Crispy crust, Pizza Hut's new Fit 'N Delicious line has fewer calories (140 to 160) per large slice than its other pizzas (most have 200 to 400). AND saturated fat drops to two grams, down from the typical three to seven grams per slice.  Sodium also takes a slide. Choose a large Green Pepper, Red Onion, and Diced Red Tomato Fit 'N Delicous and you can get away with 330 mg of sodium per lice. Most other Pizza Hut slices range from 500 mg (cheese or Veggie Lover's) to 1400 mg (some meat pizzas). What does NOT fall is flavor. Each Fit 'N Delicious comes with three toppings ( you can choose from diced chicken, green pepper, ham, jalapeno, muchroom, pineapple, red onion, and diced tomato).  Who needs sausage and extra cheese? Food is your friend - enjoy!