Written by Nancy Wood (Maine SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, Knox County Community Health Coalition) and Nicole Gurreri (Maine SNAP-ED Nutrition Educator, Healthy Acadia)
![Starry backdrop illustrates the vast and endless possibility of cooking with beans](https://www.mainesnap-ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/stars.jpeg)
Beans are nutritious and delicious and have a very long shelf life. All good attributes! This post will teach you how to make dried beans a regular part of your cooking routine.
![four bowls with different kinds of recipes using dried beans](https://www.mainesnap-ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/pexels-photo-4194618.jpeg)
Tips for preparing dried beans:
- Soak your beans overnight! This can be a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen and take charge of a project. They can pick through the beans as you rinse them to pull out any wrinkled ones, then cover them with water to soak overnight.
- Didn’t soak your beans? You can still have them for supper. Put the beans in a pot with plenty of water and bring pot to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off and leave to soak while you prep the rest of your meal. After about an hour, proceed with your recipe as directed.
- Soak beans overnight in large batches and then freeze them in smaller packages. You can pull some out later to add to whatever recipe you want!
![a pile of dry pinto beans](https://www.mainesnap-ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beige-and-purple-beans-176169-1024x576.jpg)
The nutrition connection
Dried beans are a nutritious and delicious pantry staple that provide protein, iron, and fiber. In fact, these shelf-stable superheroes are much lower in calories and saturated fat than most sources of protein, making them a healthy and low-cost addition to any meal. Following the MyPlate model, we should include at least three food groups at each meal – and beans are a perfect choice to fill out the protein group on your family’s plate!
Watch: Maine SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, Ally Messier, take you through the steps of the quick soak and cook method for dried beans.
Head over to the recipe page of Maine SNAP-Ed to find great recipes that use beans!
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