Soaking Beans & Rice

In the book Nourishing Traditions (by Sally Fallon), it talks about the benefits of soaking beans. In this book she talks about something called ‘phytic acid’. Phytic acid is naturally found in all grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of minerals in your body. To neutralize phytic acid (it will also make them easier to digest) you need to soak your grains and beans. Soaking grains and beans also increases their nutritional benefit. If you would like to read more about this (and other nutritional information) then I highly recommend Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions.

I menu plan all my meals. It makes it easier for me at the market. I know exactly what I need and for what day. Not only does it keep me organized, it is much cheaper when going to the market. I am not filling my cart full of items that are really not needed. I write my meals down for 2 weeks and put the list on the fridge. If I see that I am going to need beans for my next meal, I make sure they are in a pan full of water to be soaked throughout the night. When I wake up in the morning, I drain the water, fill the pan back up with water, add 2 teaspoons of salt, and start cooking. Usually it takes about 2 1/2-3 hours to cook. When I soak my whole grain brown rice in water, I add 1 Tablespoon of whole, plain yogurt. The next morning, I do not drain the water. I just add 1 teaspoon of salt, turn my burner on and cook it 40-50 minutes. The yogurt makes the rice fluffy and soft and I think it makes the rice taste better. I am not a huge rice fan, but I really like the taste of it when it has been soaked with the yogurt.