Posted
on January 5, 2014
When
I say “beans,” what do you think of?
Long
bright green beans? Dark red kidney beans? Pinto beans smashed and
refried with chiles?
According
to the United Nations, only members of the Phaseolus genus should be
called beans. So that includes string beans, runner beans, lima
beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, green beans, and more.
But some people consider any member of the legume family as beans.
Using that definition, we can include mung beans, soy beans, fava
beans, peanuts, black-eyed peas, chick peas, and split peas, and
lentils. Even though we use the word beans,
nobody includes coffee “beans,” cacao “beans,” or vanilla
“beans” in the bean group.
What
good are beans?
Actually,
in addition to being tasty, beans provide important things like
fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, folate, B vitamins, and iron.
So they are a great part of a healthy diet!
Bean
facts
- Consumers can buy dry beans, canned beans, frozen beans, and fresh beans.
- North Dakota is the top producer of dry beans in the U.S. – producing almost a third of the total! (Thirty states grow dry edible beans.)
- Pinto beans are the most popular dry beans in the U.S.
Beans
came from the New World and were first deliberately grown in Central
and South America. Brazil and Mexico are still among the top
producers in the world, and Latin America is still the largest
producer by region. India is one of the top producers of dry beans,
and China and Indonesia are the world leaders in the production of
green beans.
- Many people who live in the tropics eat at least one bowl of beans every single day, beans are such a staple for South American and African people.
To
celebrate Bean Day....well,
you know what to do! Cook 'em, eat 'em, count 'em, craft with 'em!
Here
are seven kid-tested bean recipes.
Play
bean-counting games such as this one
or this other one.
Create
some bean bags and play a bean bag toss game.
Make
a beanmosaic
using various sizes, shapes, and colors of beans.
Also
on this date:
Anniversary of the start of construction of the Golden Gate Bridge 
Plan
ahead:
Check
out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my boards for:
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