Beans question

[Skvega]

I was reading and I hear people talking about having just one cup of beans a day. On the MWL board it doesn't say that.
Should we limit beans if we want to lose weight?

[Katydid]

It's more of a health question than a weight-loss question. Here are some quotes from Dr. McDougall:

The one cup bean restriction is for everyone. People with kidney disease should limit or completely restrict beans even more:

In The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart he says: "However, you should limit your beans, peas, and lentils to one cup a day, on the average, to protect yourself from any adverse effects of too much protein and the possible loss of calcium from your bones."

In one of his earlier books, The McDougall Plan he says: "Vegetable products are usualy lower in protein content than are animal products. The most important exceptions are the legumes, which include beans, peas, and lentils. These foods can be consumed easily in amounts large enough to yield a diet containing excessive protein. If you are in good health, legumes should be used in no more than one meal per day. The amount should not exceed one cup of cooked legumes per meal."

From The New McDougall Cookbook: "In general, consumption of legumes should be limited to one cooked cupful a day. Some sensitive people may have to restrict their intake even further and take stricter measures to avoid excess protein."
~~~~~~~~~
Also

http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougal ... rotein.htm
March 2003
Vol. 2 No. 3
Restrict Protein - Save Your Kidneys

"The diet I recommend is centered on starchy vegetables, like rice, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, breads, and pastas. The protein content of these foods is ideal as designed by nature through eons of evolution - about 6% to 14% of the calories. Another advantage of the foods I recommend is they are made of vegetable proteins which are much less troublesome for the kidneys to process than are proteins derived from animal foods. There are some higher-protein, starchy vegetable foods classified as legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) - these are about 28% protein. In general, I recommend that a healthy person limit these to, on average, one cup of cooked legumes a day (for example, one day you may have three cups and none for the next two ways). People with loss of kidney function must restrict these legumes even more. Most green and yellow vegetables are high in protein, but the absolute amount of protein consumed from these low calorie foods is so small that the proteins in these vegetables are rarely of any consequence. Fruits are low in protein."

Kate

[Skvega]

Nice!! Thanks SO much!!!

[dteresa]

without beans, peas and lentils do you get enough lysine? Do you get enough in one cup?

didi

[dailycarbs]

Didi, I ran a 1500 calorie menu through CRON-O-Meter (including 1 can black beans) and it reports back:

Lysine. 2.2g. 115%

I added another 300 calories of cooked greens and it became:

Lysine. 3.6g. 183%

What makes you think lysine is a problem? It seems that you can't get plenty in greens and other foods.

PS. Menus were 9% (43g) and 11% (68g) protein respectively.

[Dougalling]

Oh geez I didn't know that. Guess I'll have to read the book again. Tks for the info

[babybuddha]

I'm suprised this guideline isn't discussed more, with all the bean and lentil recipes flying around.

Most days I consume one cup of cooked split peas. Some days getting on for 1/12 - 2 cups cooked volume (Dry uncooked weight: approx 100g.

I suppose it averages out over a week, I'll have to do the maths!

Thanks Kate for compiling those links.

[AlwaysAgnes]

I don't spend my days counting beans, so I don't know my bean average. I guesstimate it's around a cup per day if averaged out. I read in a study about the food and nutrient intakes of the Tarahumara of Mexico that the men consume about 420g of cooked beans a day. I guess that's about 2 1/2 cups? I love pinto beans, but if I ate 2 1/2 cups of cooked pinto beans a day, I'd probably just explode. Or at least change my name to Raging Wind.

[GeoffreyLevens]

Didi, I ran a 1500 calorie menu through CRON-O-Meter (including 1 can black beans)...

If you are concerned about the 1 cup limit, good to note that a "can of beans" is 1 1/2 cups so 1/2 cup over.

[fitnc]

I would look at a weekly average. If you go high on one day I don't think it is a worry. When I make black bean soup it is nearly impossible to adhere! But it is not something I have every day or every week for that matter.

[colonyofcells]

Dr Mcdougall don't seem to be strict about limiting beans bec. it is not mentioned in the book starch solution and in the web site free program. There are youtube videos where Dr Mcdougall will just tell people to eat starches like grains, beans, etc. and does not mention any restrictions on beans. In most traditional diets, most people eat some cheap starch staple plus some legumes. Some starch staples like nixtamalized corn, cassava have incomplete protein and have to eat legumes, cooked mushrooms and or vegetables to have complete protein.

[Jumpstart]

"JUST one cup of beans" Wow, for me one cup isn't a "just". That's a lot of beans. When making split pea soup I use two cups of dried peas and that lasts over a week with me and my DH both eating it. When eating beans and rice I doubt I have more than a 1/3 cup of beans for a serving.

I was wondering, does anyone on the board actually eat an entire cup of beans in one day?

[Wumpus]

"JUST one cup of beans" Wow, for me one cup isn't a "just". That's a lot of beans. When making split pea soup I use two cups of dried peas and that lasts over a week with me and my DH both eating it. When eating beans and rice I doubt I have more than a 1/3 cup of beans for a serving.

I was wondering, does anyone on the board actually eat an entire cup of beans in one day?

The recommendation is based on cups of cooked beans, which is why so many people are dithering about it.

[dailycarbs]

Didi, I ran a 1500 calorie menu through CRON-O-Meter (including 1 can black beans)...

If you are concerned about the 1 cup limit, good to note that a "can of beans" is 1 1/2 cups so 1/2 cup over.

I'm not concerned at all. I was asking Didi about her concern regarding lysine requirements. Seems readily avaialble on our woe in greens and other foods.

[MarionP]

Dr Mcdougall don't seem to be strict about limiting beans bec. it is not mentioned in the book starch solution and in the web site free program. There are youtube videos where Dr Mcdougall will just tell people to eat starches like grains, beans, etc. and does not mention any restrictions on beans. In most traditional diets, most people eat some cheap starch staple plus some legumes. Some starch staples like nixtamalized corn, cassava have incomplete protein and have to eat legumes, cooked mushrooms and or vegetables to have complete protein.

I agree. I think people make too much of some old recommendations. In this video, Dr McDougall is seen eating a huge bean burrito, mentioning that it is one of his favorite meals and that he often will eat two of those.

http://youtu.be/swqYBYhkEbc?t=6m15s