How To Add 1 Key Piece of the Mediterranean Diet

It’s well known that the Mediterranean dietary lifestyle is one of the healthiest on the planet. But it can be overwhelming to think about changing your entire food culture and habits to suit this approach.

So, one way to get started is to just work on one element at a time. One of the key pieces of this dietary patter are legumes (a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils). 

They’re so amazingly healthy for you, being low in fat, containing no cholesterol, and being high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber. A good source of protein, legumes can be a healthy substitute for meat, which has more fat and cholesterol.

Prep Work

The most cost-friendly versions are dried beans and legumes. Just know that with the exceptions of black-eyed peas and lentils, many recipes will have you soak them in water to rehydrate them for quicker, more even cooking. But honestly, legumes are SO versatile, there are many ways to approach them. 

• Slow soak. In a stockpot, cover 1 pound dried beans with 10 cups water. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hou or overnight.
• Quick soak. In a stockpot, bring 1 pound of dried beans and 10 cups of water to a boil. Cover and set aside and let beans soak for one to four hours at room temperature.
• No soak. This can require a longer cooking time, and gas-forming carbohydrate may be more present. Be sure you rinse the beans well before beginning to cook them.
• Pro tip. When I make my beans, I often soak them in a broth like chicken stock for an amazing flavor boost.  

Cooking tips

Those dry beans are really going to soak up a lot of fluid.  So cover them with three times their volume of fresh water before you start cooking them.

Once they start simmering, you might want to lid the pot to avoid additional water loss. Just check in frequently to see if they’re soaking up all your fluid! If so, no worries, just add a bit more fluid.

You can season with bay leaves, garlic, ginger, or other herbs such as rosemary. But if you’re adding something acidic like lemon juice, tomatoes, or vinegar, wait until the beans are already tender to add those. If these ingredients are added too early, they can make the beans tough and slow the cooking process.

They are done when you can mash them easily between your fingers or with a fork. 

By the way, regarding cost, 1 pound of dried beans are super inexpensive and give you about 5 – 6 cups of cooked beans. This means you’re paying 0.15 cents/serving. By contrast, if you buy a standard 15.5 ounce can of beans, it will give you only 1 2/3 cups of beans, coming to about twice as expensive at 0.34 cents/serving.   

Adding more legumes to your diet

Consider these ways to incorporate more legumes into your meals and snacks:

• Prepare soups, stews and casseroles that feature legumes.
• Use pureed beans as the basis for dips and spreads.
• Add chickpeas or black beans to salads. If you typically buy a salad at work and no beans are available, bring your own from home in a small container.
• Add cooked beans to meatballs or burgers.
• Snack on a handful of soy nuts rather than on chips or crackers.

If you can’t find a particular type of legume in the store, you can easily substitute one type of legume for another. For example, pinto and black beans are good substitutes for red kidney beans. And cannellini, lima beans and navy beans are easily interchangeable.

Experiment with what types of legumes you like best in your recipes to make your meals and snacks both nutritious and interesting.