Why I Use Dried Beans

Sure, canned beans are quick and convenient but still I find myself opting for the long route and cooking dried beans. The reason is simple. Cooking my own beans gives a better flavor, but there are more reason than just flavor that has me buying a bag of dried beans.

1.       Dried beans are less expensive than their canned counterparts. A 1 pound bag of dried beans which will double in quantity once they are cooked costs just over a dollar. One 12 ounce can of canned beans costs been 75 cents and a dollar. Sure, it isn’t a lot of money, but every penny counts.

2.       Canned beans contain a lot of sodium. Dried beans contain no sodium. We watch out salt intake in my household, so opting for the zero sodium option is the better choice for us.

3.       Dried beans are gluten-free while some brands of canned beans are not gluten-free. I am not on a gluten-free diet. But some of my relatives are and soup is a great thing to make when cooking for a crowd.

I have been in a bind and bought canned beans. When I do I rinse the beans in cold water to decrease the sodium content. I cringe at the extra cost but in the end so long as there is dinner on the table that everyone can eat, my family is happy.