As most Westerners, we have grown to believe that more meat is desirable. The food industry, especially the fast food industry, may have contributed a lot in our forgetting everything about beans and legumes. We do not eat what Granny had hand-picked in the garden anymore. We eat what the industry has processed for us: added chemicals, salt and bad fats … because it’s cheaper to produce and THAT sells!
Could it be otherwise? Sure! When adapting recipes in order to use beans, legumes or soy products, one is very pleasantly surprised to find out that, while a bit different, these recipes turn out to be just as delicious and satisfying. Furthermore, beans are not only much healthier, but as a source of protein, they cost a whole lot less than the equivalent volume of meat (sometimes just one third of the price of meat). Better still: they can be convenient to use. For example: in a published “Italian spaghetti Bolognese” sauce recipe, we replaced the beef with either a can of lentils or ground soy, it was a breeze. Just rinse the lentils or beans really thoroughly to get rid of all the foamy water in order to prevent your bowels from producing excess gas. When used with the smallest possible amount of oil or fat the recipe is cholesterol-free and heart-healthy.
Many top cardiologists that have become famous for reversing coronary heart disae ( Drs. Esselstyn, Ornish, Gould and Jenkins) recommend using legumes. It is just too bad that we have forgotten how to cook or use them. - NGBeditor
