July 23, 2005

Some people were…ah..suggesting, oh yes they’ll remain nameless, my delectable red beans, that’s light red kidney beans for the exacting, and couscous was two starches. Indeed, one must concede couscous is a starch. Red beans are mostly protein after all and a high percentage of the starch they have is resistant starch.

“The nice thing about legumes is that they have a great deal of dietary fiber plus the resistant starch,” said George C. Fahey Jr., who led the study. “You always think of legumes for their protein, as you should. With their protein, fiber and resistant starch, these foodstuffs offer good nutrition. Until now, we never knew legumes had so much of their starch in the form of resistant starch.”

In other words, red beans, the second best bean to eat, produces butyrate, a short-chained fatty acid desirable for its cancer-preventing qualities. The starch is acting like fiber unlike than starch found in bread which just makes you fat. So, not only were you having a wonderful taste treat but I was saving your life as well.

No need to thank me. All in a day’s work, ma’am.