Canned or Dry Beans? What You Should Know...

Ever been in the grocery store and looked at the bottom (less attractive) racks of the dry, bagged beans only to turn around and pick up the convenient cans?  You may rethink your decisions once you read this post! Here's to why you may want to plan ahead and buy dry beans vs. canned beans.

Canned or Dry Beans? What You Should Know...

Canned Beans

Advantages:

• Simple and Quick: Open, Rinse and Go!
• Canning processes really do not degrade nutritional factors. Beans do not lose much of their nutritional value when canned unlike their vegetable and fruit counterparts. 

Disadvantages:

• Almost all canned beans include ingredients beside the bean itself, including sugar! (Yep - table sugar!) Be sure to check the labels before you put them in your cart.
• Many of the cans used to contain the beans actually have BPA, an epoxy resin that is thought to have an effect on the brain and behavior of fetuses, infants and children.
• Higher cost per serving than dry beans.

Dry Beans

Advantages:

• Totally clean! You control how you cook the beans and what ingredients you use.
• You choose how long you soak them - if you want to sprout them, you can soak longer and amp up the nutritional value. 
• VERY low cost per serving (Two cans is typically the cost for one pound, which is equal to about three or four cans.)

Disadvantages:

• You have to plan ahead in order to use dry beans - they must be soaked and cooked. 
• It may take your family a little getting used to the taste of the dry beans if they are used to the taste of traditional canned beans, depending on your spices when you cook them.

It was a no-brainer to me when I discovered that many of my canned beans that I just plucked off the shelves contained added salt and sugar, as well as, were packaged in cans with BPA. Although the dry beans may be a little more time consuming on the front end, you can't beat the cost savings and the nutritional value. Plus, you can freeze the beans after you cook them!

Do you use dry beans? Why did you make the switch?

Santa's Step-Up Monthly Challenge

Here's a little fun for you this December... Why not a step-up challenge? This will not only get you burning calories and your blood pumping, but it will get your backside tight for those New Years Eve parties! Here's to a VERY Merry Holiday season!  Don't forget about our She Sweats 12-Week Transformation that will give you the motivation you need to stick to your workout routine over the holidays {gym and at-home versions available here}!

Santa's Step-Up Monthly Challenge

Just in case you are wondering on a few of the exercises, here are some ground rules:

1. Find a challenging, but safe height for your step-ups with a flat, non-skid surface.

2. The leg listed first, right or left, is your lead leg. This is the leg that you will step up on to your platform with.

3. The knee step-ups are intended so that you step up with the lead leg and bring the other knee up to a 90 degree angle in front of you.

4. The extension step-ups are intended so that you step up with the lead leg and bring the opposite leg out behind you, fully extended so that you are utilizing your glutes muscles to raise it. 

BONUS: We will be releasing another December Challenge on Instagram so be sure to follow us there too! @heandsheeatclean

Clean Eating Food to Pack for the Airport

It may be harder to eat clean while traveling but it isn't impossible. You can bring your own food with you on the plane (just not liquids!). Even if you forget your food or you can't bring it with you for some reason, there actually are healthy choices at the airport, you just might have to look a little harder for them. If you do not have your own food with you, skip the bags of candy and stock up on fruit and nuts to snack on during the flight. Grab a bottle of water instead of the soda and if you have time to actually grab a bite to eat look for a restaurant where you can "build your own meal" (usually something similar to Chipotle). Start your vacation or business trip off right by making healthy choices at the beginning of your trip!

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CLEAN FOOD TO PACK FOR THE AIRPORT

Proteins:

• Protein Powder (Chocolate & Vanilla)
• Grilled Chicken
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Protein Bars

Carbs:

• Rice Cakes
• Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Dry Oats
• Apples
• Bananas
• Dried Fruit (no sugar added)

Fats:

• Individual Packets of Peanut/Almond Butter
• Almonds

Vegetables:

• Cucumbers
• Bell Peppers

As always, check the TSA website before packing.  Not going on a plane but taking a road trip instead?  Check out our ideas for your road trip!

Happy Travels!

- The Gang