Thinking you can’t tolerate beans well due to the after-effects?! A great tip for those of you with gut troubles is to stick to Eden Organics brand of legumes-this company pressure cooks them before canning so that the lectins are inactivated. Lectins are a type of protein found in beans, grains, nuts/seeds that can reduce the nutrient bioavailability of that plant-based food-especially in those of us that may have difficult digestion to begin with (hello celiacs, IBS peeps). This means you don’t absorb all of the vitamins/minerals that the food contains. Lectins also contribute to symptoms of gassiness and bloating that can happen when you eat beans.
Instead of avoiding these types of foods, I usually recommend for my patients who have digestive troubles to choose sprouted nuts, seeds, grains and to buy this brand of beans unless they want to soak and sprout them themselves (I myself have difficulty finding the time to dedicate to this). The process of soaking/sprouting or pressure cooking of beans can reduce/inactivate lectins and other vitamin/mineral blocking molecules like phytates. This homemade hummus is much more gut-friendly being that I used Eden’s beans and there is no citric acid added (this is usually in most store-bought hummus and is a mold derivative). I have varied this recipe in many ways-I recommend adding a roasted beet to make a beautifully colored beet hummus, add a spoonful of pesto for a summer-y variety or add cinnamon and honey for a sweetened, creamy dip for a fruit platter. The possibilities are endless!
What you need:
- 1 can of Eden Organics white cannellini beans
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 T tahini (I like the Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s brands)
- juice of half a lemon
- ~1/8 cup olive oil
- dash of salt and pepper
- optional: 2 T chopped fresh parsley
- water to thin as needed
How you do it:
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend; add salt to taste and more water for desired consistency
- Store in a glass container for up to a week in the fridge
