Carbs-beans-HELP!!!

I have never seen any guidelines on beans as a protein source. I know that they are full of protein and they taste good to me, but they are also high in carbs. Do any of you eat beans regularly? How much is in a serving size? Have you eaten Wendy's chili - I know that it is low in fat, cheap and tastes good. Also, do any of you eat soup. I need protein sources that are easily portable and do not need refridgeration. I work full time plus frequent overtime at a job with 12 hour shifts and am going to school full time. Hardly time to sleep or eat and definately no time to cook. Heather 4-11-05 291-200-?

Hi Heather, I ate Taco Bell beans when I was in the soft foods stage but not since. If you need portable protein, both chicken and tuna come in freshlock vacuum packages that you can take anywhere. Lisa

By the way, most restaurants have their nutritional information online. I copied this from Wendy's site. Note how much sodium, carbohydrates and calories their chilis have. http://www.wendys.com/food/index.jsp?country=US〈=EN

Hello Heather, Your talkin about BEANS! If it wasn't for beans I would be very sad! OMG... I just about live on beans.... I have problems with meat so, I make a pot of beans and add some meat or chicken or turkey to them. I am single and I like to cook, sometimes. Well I found that a crockpot is the easiest way to make beans. I just chop up some veggies like celery, potatoes, onions, and sometimes carrots(theyare high in sugar so I stay away from them), then I add some kind of broth either chicken or beef. The beans I use are either white beans or lintils or my favorite is a green split pea. I sort and rinse the dry beans and then soak them over nite, then I brown my meat in a frying pan. Add the hard veggies & beans to the bottom of the crockpot and add meat and onions. Then add enough broth to cover everything and turn the crockpot on low if your starting it in the morning and let it cook for 8 -10 hours and you got yourself a meal that you can freeze. I freeze my beans or soups in ice cube trays and then when there frozen I take them out of the trays and put them in freezer ziplock baggies, I put two cubes per bag and when ever I want my beans or soup I take out a bag and microwave it. Presto ! dinner or lunch in a minute or two.... Can't be easier then that. On the carbs there isn't that much to worry about I don't think? Some times I think I might be getting to much salt, but I figure if I am getting in 100 ozes of water per day. I am flushing it out of my system. I have to say I make a Heck of a Split pea soup with pork ! Infact I am getting ready to make a batch this evening..... I usualy have a some kind of crackers with my soups or beans also. I like the Ritz brand, they have a garlic and butter one that is awesome! Oh just found a soy crisp snack chip that is great also. If you need more soup or bean hints.. Email me and I will try and help you out. Tom 536/398/200 -138 lbs.

Wow thanks for the ideas!!! When i was first out I lived off of refried beans, milk and cheese.. I am eatting alot of soup beans now but never thought of freezing them... just eatting them all week. Ill be freezing them now... and cooking the ham with them makes it MOIST!!! Linda

Heather, Not all carbs are created equally. Beans fall into the category of "good carbs" because they are healthy food and not as quick & easy to break down as, say, potatoes. The carbs in beans generally are 99% fiber, which is good for ya, it helps you poop! That all being said, beans are not a "whole" protein. To get a wholly productive protein, you need to eat a grain with your beans, such as rice or bread. Beans are great for helping to boost your protein intake, but not for all the time. Of course, if you are looking for a great portable protein source, you could try beef jerky -- the sodium is high and you need to drink extra water to keep from rataining fluids -- but at 15 grams protein per oz and only 90-130 calories, beef jerky can't be beaten in the protein count! Whenever I know I will be out and about and not have time for a proper meal, I take a sandwich bag with 1 oz pre-measured beef jerky with me & munch on that. Dry roasted soy nuts are also a great source of protein, as are many other nuts -- just be aware that while the fat content in nuts is high, it is omega fats, which you NEED now, so be careful until you know you can handle the fat content, and chew chew chew! Another quick, portable protein is soy crisps -- the carb count is higher (in ratio) than I like, but when you want a crunchy snack, wow, they rock! Turkey pepperoni is also a great on-the-go protein, as are cheese sticks, though you can't keep a cheese stick in your purse for days at a time, LOL of course, the tuna fish lunch-to-go products are great for on-the-go eating, too, though I would recommend trading in the crackers (high-fat butter flavored crackers come with them) for a low-carb variety -- such as a rye crisp or whole wheat cracker. HTH --joanna 325/207/125(someday, I hope!!)

Excellent point about the Jerky. I have a lot of it here for protein. Was amazed when the stores were cleaned out of bread and canned foods for the anticipated hurricane that the jerky hadn't been touched. I love it

Thanks for all the great tips! It is great to get soo much help. Heather 4-11-05 291-199!