Lani Lopez - It’s Bean fun

Vegetables are delicious and there’s nothing like a crisp raw green been to snap between your teeth. Planting beans is fun, especially if you like Jack and the beanstalk as a childhood story.

As your bean plant sprouts and grows, meandering upwards you’ll feel like a garden guru when your beanstalk comes to life to give you a satisfying crop of beans.

If you’re impatient and want them to grow faster here’s what they call a life hack, in other words how to make it easier.


Soak the beans overnight before you plant them. Why?
Beans contain phytic acid that stops the beans from growing until nature delivers suitable growing conditions they need to sprout. Soaking the beans in water disarms the phytic acid making them easier to grow.  

It should be the first step you take when you are going to sprout nuts, seeds, grains and legumes. These contain phytic acid too.

Beans are a welcoming addition to any meal for health. Loaded with fibre and nutrients that help to control cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and can even help you to lose weight.

Enjoyed raw or cooked to get the most out of your beans, eat 3-4 cups of beans or legumes per week.


What about other beans or legumes?
You can also grow soy beans but if you can’t wait for them to grow and you want the health benefits of beens from your diet here’s a fabulous quick recipe to try.

Cooked chickpeas, red, mixed or butter beans make tasty easy dips. I just blitz mine in the blender with olive oil and lemon juice.  After seasoning with salt, pepper, moroccan spices, herbs, garlic or  choose what you like, you’ve got a great dip or spread.

Have a culinary love affair with beans because in turn they love you back.