So, if you’ve been paying attention to the latest nutritional news, then you know that beans are truly a superfood.
They're high in antioxidants and fiber. Beans are loaded with protein, vitamins, and minerals. They’re good for your health in many different ways — plus, they have the advantage of keeping you feeling nice and full.
Unfortunately, the old poem about beans is true. “Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you…” Well, you know the rest of it.
Eating beans comes with a price, and it can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. The good news is that the gassy impact of beans can be avoided by following a couple of simple cooking hacks.
But first, let’s look at why beans produce gas.
It’s because they contain a variety of complex sugars that are hard for our bodies to digest. After you’ve enjoyed the beans and they pass through your colon, the bacteria that live there breaks down the sugar, and this produces gas.
If you want to get back to eating beans without gas, you need to start by choosing your beans carefully, as some are easier to digest than others.
TweetStart with adzuki beans or mung beans. They are low in complex sugars. Only eat a little bit, then add a bit more every week so that your system learns how to handle them.
Later, you can move on to black beans and lentils before the beans that are hardest to digest — chickpeas, soybeans, kidney beans, and navy beans.
7 Cooking Hacks to Enjoy Beans with Less Gas
Using these, you can cut the gas and enjoy the benefits of eating beans again:
1. Plan ahead for cooking beans
You need to start with dried beans and soak them for at least 8 hours, and preferably overnight. Though this takes more time, it also has the advantage of being less costly than canned beans.
After soaking, put them in fresh water and cook for at least half an hour, rinsing before eating.
2. Don’t eat fruit or high-sugar foods with beans
Restrict yourself from eating those foods to at least two hours before a meal with beans.
3. Don’t combine beans with other proteins in the same meal
Every protein that you eat is digested by a different type of stomach acid, and combining proteins makes the beans even harder to digest. The same is true of potatoes.
4. Combine eating beans with whole grains
They’ll help to absorb gas.
5. Try eating beans the Japanese way
They add a piece of seaweed to beans after they have been cooked to make them more digestible.
6. Spice them up 
Sounds counter-intuitive but I'm not talking about making them firey.
Cook beans with spices known to help digestion. Some popular choices include ginger, fennel, and turmeric.
7. Eat slowly and chew them well
Most people forget that the first stage of digestion begins in the mouth. The more you chew, the less work your intestines have to do and the less gas will be created.
Eating beans are a delicious and filling way to add more superfoods to your diet, and now that you know these tips, you can enjoy them without all of the unwanted side effects!
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Please share this article with anyone you know who avoids eating beans to help them enjoy them again. How often do you eat beans? Please comment below!
