Is it even possible to eat beans (lentils, chickpeas) without the...aftereffects?

[melissel]

I miss lentils! I really do. And I want to make chili! But they upset my stomach so awfully, I've resigned myself to just staying away. And poor DH works in sales, so he's with people all day. The last time I made mushroom barley soup, everyone suffered :001_huh: Is there some way to get around this issue? If so, please share! I found a white chili recipe I'm just dying to try!

 

TIA :D

[Lolosoli]

You should try making bean-free chili. You may find you like the taste and it doesn't upset your tummy.

[melissel]

You should try making bean-free chili. You may find you like the taste and it doesn't upset your tummy.

 

Huh! I never heard of such a thing! I'll have to go do a little searching now... Thanks!

[yslek]

Something I've tried with lentils that helps a lot: sprouting them before hand. (I have a mesh screen lid that fits on top of wide-mouth quart-size canning jars. I rinse the lentils, put them in the jar w/ the lid, and then keep the jar upside-down at an angle. Rinse a couple times a day. After about a day, tiny sprouts will appear. I don't let the sprouts grow...just cook the lentils at that point.)

 

Also, putting a piece of Kombu seaweed in with your cooking beans is supposed to help. I think it helps a little, though not completely. ;)

 

I made a lentil dish last week and forgot both of these tricks. Not cool. :glare:

[redsquirrel]

My mom is a huge fan of 'Beano".

 

My family is vegetarian and we eat beans, lentils etc, almost every day. I can honestly say we have no gassy tummies. None of us. I think it is two things:

 

1. I make sure all the beans we eat are well cooked. Even a little bit of firmness can make a difference for some people

 

2. eat them more often. I am guessing that part of the issue is that you don't have enough fiber in your diet. Beans do have sugars that don't digest well and can ferment in our system (see Alton Brown segment on beans). But they also have a lot of fiber. If you aren't used to eating a lot of fiber, that can be the real cause of the gassiness. Most people get no where near enough fiber. I belong to spark people and it monitors my fiber intake. On days that I eat a cup of beans I only just make the daily fiber requirements.

[beaners]

I find that when we eat beans and lentils regularly, as in a couple times a week, it's less of an issue than when we eat them more sporadically. Rinsing the beans well after the first boil helps. Sometimes I rinse them a second time after they've cooked for half an hour. Certain beans are easier on the system than others. I think white northern beans are among the least gaseous. I'd make sure they are well-cooked too. Don't add in any salt or tomatoes until the beans are tender enough.

 

I also find that not eating a ton of them helps too. When I eat smaller, reasonable portions I don't have much trouble. If I eat bowl after bowl, it's a different story. Eating smaller portions is healthier anyways.

[LibraryLover]

I agree about sprouting lentils. You can even buy some beans & legumes already sprouted.

 

Soak, but drain and rinse. A good, long soaking helps, but never cook in the soaking water.

[klmama]

I miss lentils! I really do. And I want to make chili! But they upset my stomach so awfully, I've resigned myself to just staying away. And poor DH works in sales, so he's with people all day. The last time I made mushroom barley soup, everyone suffered :001_huh: Is there some way to get around this issue? If so, please share! I found a white chili recipe I'm just dying to try!

 

TIA :D

 

Are you using canned beans and lentils or dried ones? If canned, drain them and rinse them well before adding to the chili - you will need extra tomato sauce or water. That may help a bit. Using dried will probably help more. If using dried, be sure to drain and rinse well after you soak overnight, and use fresh water to cook them. Again, drain that water and rinse before adding the beans to your dish. Whichever you try, check it out on a Friday night so if there's a problem it's when dh doesn't go to work.

 

Also, have you tried Bean-O? It's supposed to help, but I don't know how effective it really is.

[helena]

You can use epazote for Mexican beans. It's easy to grow, and helps with tummy issues.

[ChrisB]

I use red beans in our chili with no problems.

[Sherry in OH]

My mom is a huge fan of 'Beano".

 

My family is vegetarian and we eat beans, lentils etc, almost every day. I can honestly say we have no gassy tummies. None of us. I think it is two things:

 

1. I make sure all the beans we eat are well cooked. Even a little bit of firmness can make a difference for some people

 

2. eat them more often. I am guessing that part of the issue is that you don't have enough fiber in your diet. Beans do have sugars that don't digest well and can ferment in our system (see Alton Brown segment on beans). But they also have a lot of fiber. If you aren't used to eating a lot of fiber, that can be the real cause of the gassiness. Most people get no where near enough fiber. I belong to spark people and it monitors my fiber intake. On days that I eat a cup of beans I only just make the daily fiber requirements.

 

:iagree:

 

If you eat beans often, the unpleasant side effects go away.

 

Here is a report that may interest you. http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/svreports/beans_without_gas.pdf

 

Eating fennel seeds or a few sprigs of fresh parsley after your meal may aid your digestion.