If you love Mexican food or you come from the South, you already enjoy pinto beans in many dishes. Though familiar with their great flavor, you probably don't know they're packed with nutrition. Because of their versatility, pinto beans have become a staple in most households across the U.S. Pinto beans, members of the Phaseolus vulgaris family, date back to 4,000 BC when their discovery in Mexican caves marks their earliest appearance. Their longevity as a staple food, their numerous uses and their nutritive value attest to the pinto bean's culinary success.
Nutrition
A 1/2-cup serving of Luck's canned pinto beans has 130 calories, 2g fat, 0mg cholesterol and 0mg sodium. One serving provides 21g of complex carbohydrates with 1g sugar. They have 6g of fiber and 7g of protein. Pintos offer 2 percent of the USDA's recommended daily allowance of vitamin C and provide 10 percent of the RDA of iron. These beans also contain calcium, phosphorus, potassium and the three B vitamins: thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
Health Benefits
Pinto beans make a good choice for a healthy diet. Their B vitamins support strong bones and healthy tissue regeneration. The iron and other minerals in pintos contribute to the health of your blood and bones. Their substantial fiber content helps the function of the digestive tract and helps lower serum cholesterol. As a complex carbohydrate, pintos provide satiety and curb your appetite until your next meal, with a relatively small number of calories, practically no fat and or sugar.
Versatility
The tan-colored, oval-shaped beans go well cold in salads or warm in soups, casseroles, stuffing, tacos and burritos. Paired with rice or other grains, you get a complete protein with all of the essential amino acids. They can accompany some crusty bread or you can mix them with pasta. The canned variety comes in handy for last-minute meals, although many people buy pinto beans raw, clean and soak them and then boil them. For all that pinto beans have to offer, they cost less than many other types of foods.
Drawback
Pintos, like other beans, can cause gas. The gaseous feeling comes from the intestines' inability to digest the whole bean. As a complex carbohydrate with an appreciable amount of fiber, much of the bean's outer shell goes undigested. This provides bulk to move the contents in your bowels, but the undigested food particles have a tendency to build up gas. You can take an over-the-counter anti-gas supplement to make the addition of beans to your diet more pleasant. Another approach is to add pintos slowly to your diet. Instead of consuming them every day, try having them once a week. This slow introduction won't relieve all the gas, but it will give your intestines time to adjust to the beans.
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