NutritionDoc

Trying to squeeze more beans into your diet? There is nothing easier than heating up a can of chili for a quick, hearty lunch or dinner.

 

But when the label says Campbell's, Bush's, or Hormel, canned chili that is made with beef means double trouble: if the sodium (typically 1200 mg per cup) does not get you, the sat fat (5-7 grams)wil.

 

Your Get Out of Jail Free card: Amy's (meatless) Light in Sodium Organic Chili.

Amy cuts the sodium to 340 mg per cup - roughly half of what is in her regular Organic Chili. But the chili's red beans, onions, tofu, and bell peppers end up with the same kick, thanks to the garlic, jalapeno peppers, and spices. And the sat fat (1 gram) is barely there.

 

Whether you choose Medium or Spicy, you get all the benefits of beans: 7 grams of fiber, 13 grams of protein, and 15 to 25 percent of a day's vitamin A, C and iron in each cup of chili. And it is good to know that no pesticides ended up in the soil, in the water, or in YOU.

 

So make yourself a hearty salad of mixed greens and crispy vegetables. Add a veggie like corn on the cob. And set aside a bowl of mixed berries topped with a dollop of vanilla yogurt for dessert.

Anyone who thinks that beans have to be either bland or over salted has not met Amy.