Wednesday's Helping: Pinto Beans

Little protein powerhouses
Their name translates from Spanish into “painted.” Pinto beans really pack a nutritious and fat-free bite. Look for a speckled or spackled brown or reddish color that changes into a solid pink when cooked in different dishes. Fully cooked pinto beans have a creamy consistency on the inside that also adds heartiness to soups and stews. Consumers can find dried or canned pinto beans year around in most major grocery stores. Pinto beans are the most popular dried beans consumed in the United States. The Spanish discovered the ancestor of modern pinto beans in Peru during the 15th Century. Pinto beans provide a good source of protein, fiber and iron.