One of the most common dishes in the UK, baked beans, can have significant benefits for heart health and lowering cholesterol, but only if consumed with the right choices.
This is explained by dietitian Dell Stanford in an analysis for the British Heart Foundation.
According to her, this simple and economical meal is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Although most canned beans are considered “intensively processed” due to sugar, salt and additional ingredients like thickeners or preservatives, they “can still be part of a healthy diet.”
Why are they useful?
Baked beans, usually haricot or cannellini varieties in tomato sauce, are an excellent source of fiber. This helps lower cholesterol and maintain gut health.
A half-can serving (about 207 g), which is a typical amount for many people, provides almost a third of the daily fiber requirement (30 g). They contain both soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which is important for digestion.
Beans are also a good source of plant-based protein and contain important nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Tomato sauce is rich in lycopene, a protective antioxidant that is linked to a lower risk of heart and circulatory diseases.
Replacing some of the meat with beans helps reduce harmful saturated fats, manage weight, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
But where is the "trap"?
The main problem is related to the salt and sugar content. Half a can of baked beans contains about 1.3g of salt – around 21 per cent of the recommended maximum daily amount (6g). It can also contain around 9g of sugar, which is around 10 per cent of the recommended daily limit for total sugars.
Food labels only list the total amount of sugar and do not distinguish between naturally occurring and added sugar. In the case of baked beans, most of the sugar is added and comes from the tomato sauce, as the beans themselves contain very little natural sugar.
How to make a meal healthier?
Experts advise:
Choose baked beans with less salt and sugar, or no added sugar.
Replace white bread with wholemeal bread for more fiber
Avoid butter: beans provide enough moisture, or use small amounts of unsaturated vegetable fats.
Add vegetables like roasted red peppers, onions, or mushrooms for extra nutritional value.
With these simple changes, baked beans can go from an ordinary meal to a truly heart-friendly choice. /GazetaExpress/
t7 live
