Green Beans and Wax Beans: Vegetables and Fruits for Health the Pyramid Way

Vegetables for Health the Pyramid Way
By Nellie Hedstrom, Extension nutrition specialist

Edible-pod beans are unique in the bean family because the pod and the bean are eaten when they are immature. Other beans are harvested to eat when they are mature and the bean is dry. The types of beans commonly grown in Maine gardens are snap beans (yellow, green, pole or bush), Italian green beans and purple wax beans.

This vegetable has only 31 calories per cup of beans. High in vitamin A and vitamin C, a woman can get 17 percent of her daily requirement of vitamin A and 27 percent of vitamin C from a cup of raw snap beans. Folate, a needed nutrient during pregnancy and for growth, is available in snap beans as well.

Pick beans from the garden when they are straight and slender. They should be mature in length, but not over-mature. You can see the seeds (beans) bulging in the pods if they are over-mature. Over-mature beans will be tough, stringy and have a starchy taste. Avoid beans with rust spots and scars.

Always store beans in a cool place. To preserve green beans and yellow beans from your garden, freeze or can them. Canning instructions are available from your local county Extension office, or online at the UMaine Extension Web site at http://www.umext.maine.edu. Look for bulletin #4046, Beans, in the Let’s Preserve series. Preserve beans the same day you harvest them for the best quality. If you have a large quantity and preserving them the same day is not possible, keep the beans cool. Store in a cool basement or shed and freeze or can them as soon as possible. Small amounts of beans can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. Use within five days.

Preparation

Wash beans thoroughly in clear, cool water. Lift beans from the wash water and leave garden debris behind. Rinse again. Beans can be cooked whole, or cut crosswise, diagonally or French-cut. If you want sweet-tasting, crisp fresh beans, cut them as little as possible. Cut older, more mature beans in the French style.

Boiling, steaming or microwaving are popular ways to prepare beans. Stir-frying preserves the best qualities of the fresh bean. Whatever cooking method you choose, remember to cook beans as little as possible using the smallest amount of water possible. Boil and microwave beans for up to 10 minutes. Steam in a vegetable steamer over boiling water for only three to five minutes. Stir-fry beans with other vegetables in broth or a small amount of oil for only two to five minutes.

Green Beans Vinaigrette

Serves: 6

2 pounds green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon-type mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Steam beans until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Mix all ingredients, except beans, in a large serving bowl. After beans are cooked and drained, transfer them to the serving bowl. Toss with the seasonings.

Nutritional content per serving:
89 calories
3 g protein
17 g carbohydrate
2 g total fat
0.7 g polyunsaturated fat
0 cholesterol
2.7 g dietary fiber
51 micrograms folate
16 mg vitamin C
477 mg potassium

Green Beans Italian

This is a great recipe to make when fresh beans are available, but don’t hesitate to make it with canned beans.

Serves: 6

1 pound green beans
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/3 cup sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons water

Use small beans whole or cut larger beans into slices. Steam over boiling water for 8 minutes. Mix all ingredients in a covered microwave dish. Heat on high in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time, or until the green pepper is tender.

Nutritional content per serving:
36 calories
1.8 g protein
8 g carbohydrate
.3 g total fat
1.9 g dietary fiber
68 RE vitamin A
17 mg vitamin C
299 mg potassium

For more information, contact your University of Maine Cooperative Extension county office.

Published and distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Land Grant University of the state of Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Cooperative Extension and other agencies of the U.S.D.A. provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.

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Last Modified: 08/12/08
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