Organic Bean Salad

Beans—fiber, protein, sometimes gas-producing. Yum?

Yep.

If you’d told me as a child that one day I’d not only be eating beans, but actually consuming them by choice, I’d have thrown a tater tot at you. Age and nutritional understanding led me to put down the tater tots and reach for food that doesn’t require dredging a mound of ketchup before eating.

I ran across a colorful bean salad while at a conference in New York, but was disappointed in its taste. A mayonnaise-ish film coated the beans, and the spices weren’t quite right. I liked the basics though, and as soon as I got home, I set about making my own version of a bean salad. It’s quick, cheap, and addictive (kinda like tater tots, right?).

I use all organic ingredients (except the vinegar, which I can’t find locally in an organic variety). You’ll need:

1 can black beans

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can no-salt-added corn

Extra virgin olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Sea salt

Black pepper

Rinse and drain the beans and corn in a colander. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir, taking care not to smash the beans. I go light on the oil—about one tablespoon—and heavy on the vinegar. I also don’t use a set amount of salt and pepper, but frequent taste-testing will tell you when you have the right mix. Cover and refrigerate the salad for a few hours, then stir and eat with friends.

I’m pretty impressed with my bean salad, both for its simplicity and good flavor. Make your own version and let me know how it goes.

Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurt

Yogurt and I have had our ups and downs. I know it’s basically healthy, and makes a good addition to a daily diet, but too often I’m left wondering when the real snack will arrive. Since I swear by organic milk, I decided to give organic yogurt a try. I reasoned that if I’m going to eat yogurt, I might as well choose the healthiest possible from what is a disturbingly large selection of brightly packaged yogurt at the grocery store. Stonyfield Farm Organic Lowfat Blueberry Yogurt jumped out from the crowd, in large part because a contemplative-looking cow wearing a monocle peers out from the logo.

Stonyfield Farm’s 6oz of yogurt was a bit pricier than other varieties, but that’s to be expected when buying organic. The plastic cup is labeled as a 5 for recycling, which made me feel good about my choice, since a lot of yogurt cups still aren’t coded for anything but the landfill. Organic blueberries are listed as the second ingredient, and I expected a nice portion of “fruit on the bottom” once I stirred the cup.

The most striking and immediate difference between Stonyfield’s yogurt and other brands I’ve had in the past is the smell. Upon peeling back the lid, a much more pungent, yogurty smell met my curious nostrils. The yogurt was almost pure white, as is often the case with “fruit on the bottom” varieties. A quick stir turned up the pleasant purple I expected, plus a sizable (but not huge) portion of blueberries. After a few more stirs, I gave the yogurt a taste.

Overall, it was very good, and somehow felt healthier than non-organic yogurt. Maybe that was a marketing trick, but I don’t think so. Stonyfield’s yogurt isn’t as thick, smooth, or sugary-tasting as mainstream products, but it’s reasonably filling and satisfying. Sure, it’s what some people would call a “sugar bomb,” but I’m not diabetic, and I prefer naturally milled organic sugar to lab-created sweeteners. I would’ve liked to have had more blueberries in the mix, but otherwise I was happy. Equally as importantly, I felt good– like I’d chosen a healthy snack that truly was healthy, rather than disguised as such.

Basic nutrition ticker: 6oz, 130 calories, 1.5g fat, 5mg cholesterol, 110mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate, <1g fiber, 21g sugar, 6g protein, plus a nice dose of calcium and vitamin D and a trace of vitamin A.