Posted August 4, 2018

In Brain Food, Cooking, Nutrition, Recipe

Hey there! I can’t believe I haven’t blogged for over a month! But, ya know what? Extra stress and life happens and sometimes you just need to take a step back and let certain activities or responsibilities hang out for a little while. Gotta follow my own motto that life is all about balance!

Speaking of stress, I was recently quoted for a Women’s Health article all about what nutritionists eat when they’re really stressed. You may be expecting that I said something like chocolate or cheese or even wine! I actually said hummus and beans. Huh? Beans? Yes, beans. I LOVE hummus, bean dips and especially refried beans. There’s something about the texture and mouthfeel that is so comforting for me.

I can’t get enough of refried beans, except the kind that comes in the cans. Those aren’t so delicious and don’t really taste like much. Homemade refried beans are so EASY and fast to make! When I was recovering from sinus surgery last year, I literally ate refried beans with sharp cheddar and avocado every single day for a week! I think the perception that this delicious side dish is unhealthy is because many Mexican restaurants make their beans with lard or bacon fat. Delicious, yes, but not the optimal kind of fat for health. For heart health, we want to try to replace most of our saturated fats with unsaturated fats.

Guess what beans are good for? Your mood and brain health! Three micronutrients that may play a role in depression, if deficient, are zinc, magnesium and folate. Chickpeas, beans and lentils have all of these. They also contain fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugars and are vital for gut health. What does gut health have to do with brain health? Ummm, everything! The two are very closely connected and hormones and neurotransmitters are even released from the gut. Inflammation in the gut may possibly be linked to both anxiety and depression.

So, you need to spend hours slow cooking beans, break out a big heavy food processor and add a ton of ingredients to make refried beans right? No.

It should literally take you 5 minutes!!

Drain and rinse a can of pinto beans, add some garlic and cumin (or none at all if you you’re a purist), salt, avocado oil and mash, mash, mash with a potato masher until you have your desired smoothness level, heat in the microwave and either eat plain or top with cheese or diced avocado. That’s it!

You may be wondering why I chose avocado oil over olive oil for the beans. While I love olive oil, the taste is a bit overpowering for this dish. Avocado oil has a neutral taste, is great for cooking due to its high smoke point, and contains heart healthy oleic acid, which is considered a monounsaturated fat. It’s a great oil to add to your culinary repatoire.

Homemade Healthy Refried Beans

Homemade healthy refried pinto beans with avocado

Print Recipe

Homemade refried beans are super easy to make in only about 5 minutes! I will never buy canned refried beans again! When looking for canned whoe beans that are on the lower end of the spectrum for sodium, check out the organic versions. Even if the words “low sodium” aren’t on the front of the can, they are often good options. Be sure to look at the nutrition label.

Yield: 3 (1/3-cup) servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 (15.5-ounce) can low sodium or no salt added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon avocado oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Optional topping suggestions – Chopped cilantro, grated sharp cheddar, chopped onion, or diced avocado

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mash until pureed using a potato masher. Leave chunky if desired.
Heat beans in microwave or stove top just before serving.

Keywords: beans, refried, healthy, pulses, legumes, vegan, latin, side dish, dairy free, nut free, gluten free