Nebraska leads in dry bean production

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - Nebraska has been the leader in dry bean production the last 80 years.

Nebraska’s dry bean harvest is over half complete for 2020. Dry edible beans are grown in the Panhandle of Nebraska.

Adding fresh or canned dry beans to our diets can help boost fiber, potassium, and protein consumption. Beans are an excellent source of vegetable protein and minerals such as iron, magnesium and zinc.

“Add beans to any kind of present recipe and you’re going to fill your family up faster at a lower cost because beans per serving are way cheaper than any other kind of protein,” said Nebraska Extension Food and Health Educator, Brenda Aufdenkamp.

They are rich in folic acid, and they help protect against heart disease. Beans are a good source of non-lactic calcium. They are rich in soluble dietary fiber, which helps to bring down cholesterol levels.

“I think we need to become more and more aware of what’s grown in the state of Nebraska and thank our farmers and ranchers for what they do for us. And then take those products and incorporate them into our recipes and boost up our nutritional value so we can fill our kids up and not be hungry and balance our food budgets every month,” said Aufdenkamp.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines urge adults to consume three cups of cooked dry beans a week, while most Americans don’t even eat one cup in a week. Brenda recommends the community incorporate more beans into their diet. For more information on cooking dry beans go to https://food.unl.edu.