You've BEAN good to me.

Well, it's been settled. With your support, (and willingness to participate in night games, dance parties, and endless bowls of frozen yogurt), I will be a shoe in for president in 2012. Luckily, many of you volunteered to fill my cabinet positions, so it's pretty clear that this country will be run by geniuses. I'll call Beiber and get him lined up for our election celebration party.

I just got done stuffing my face with a ginormous salad while watching, The Biggest Loser. I would have/should have taken a photo of it in all of it's glory...I'm pretty sure there was a solid 5 servings of veggies and one serving of fruit. However, I was ravenously hungry and let's be honest, sometimes most of the time hunger comes first.

I learned the COOLEST healthy trick today from one of my clients. I wanted to come home and cook up a storm just to try it, but there was no time today...hopefully tomorrow.

Let me just say first and foremost, that I LOVE BEANS. I may struggle with protein, but I could eat beans all day. White beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, soy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, sports beans...you get it. They are just SO dang good for you. They are a great source of protein and fiber, and they are a high quality food. They are also easy to keep on hand, and throw into almost any recipe to up the nutritional value and keep you full!

I've done a lot of things with beans in my day...dips, sides, sauces, salads, soups...etc. But today I learned a new use! Pureed beans can be substituted into recipes in place of fat, (Butter, oil, shortening) Amazing, huh?
White beans work best due to their lack of color and their mute flavor. However, if you are using a recipe that is darker in nature such as brownies or chocolate cake, black beans could work just as well.

1. First cook your beans, or simple rinse your pre-cooked canned beans.

2. Next you put them in the food processor or blender and puree them.

3. Substitute the pureed beans straight across (cup for cup) into whichever recipe you're using.

4. Lastly, enjoy your BOMB creation that now has an increased amount of fiber and protein and a decreased amount of fat.

I am planning on whipping up something delicious and bean-i-fied tomorrow! I'll share it as soon as I do. :)


Do you like beans? I most certainly do. I think they are tasty in just about everything. What is your favorite way to eat them? Any great recipes you want to share? I'm always down for new recipes. Have you ever used this method of swapping out the butter for beans? I have heard of people making black bean brownies, but I wasn't aware this was what they were doing. I can't wait to try it!!