If you're looking to lose weight as a vegetarian, bean-based dishes are a good place to start. The high protein and fibre content we have already mentioned are part of the reason that our healthy refried beans could be a good dish to incorporate into your weight loss meal plan.
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These healthy refried beans are our take on the traditional Mexican dish, with a health-conscious twist!
Authentic refried beans consist of a bean paste which is then fried or baked. We have taken that simple principle and stripped everything down to create a recipe that is the healthiest and easiest version of the traditional dish.
A fun fact for you: the English word ‘refried’ is actually quite misleading, as the beans are not in fact fried twice!
The English language took the word ‘refried’ from the Spanish name for this dish, ‘frijoles refritos’. However, ‘Refritos’ in this case does not mean fried again, it means well fried.
Usually, Mexican refried beans are served as a side dish or included in tortillas and enchiladas. In Tex-mex cuisine, they are also eaten as a dip with tortilla chips!
Simple but effective: making healthy refried beans at home
If you’ve tried this dish before, it has probably been from out of a can – now we can show you how to make refried black beans from scratch, a much healthier and cheaper option!
It’s a pretty simple method: all you have to do is blend up your black beans, fry some garlic in a frying pan, then add the black bean paste!
Then comes the fun part – toppings. Although refried black beans make a great side dish, we think that, with a bit of jazzing up, they can be incorporated into a main meal.
That’s why we suggest eating them with corn tortillas, avocado, onion, red pepper and low fat sour cream. A sort of DIY lunch, full of veggies and goodness.
You could also serve them with the delicious radish pickle we usually serve alongside our huevos rancheros recipe.
To make the pickle, mix 3 tbsp white vinegar, ¼ cup water, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt with 2 sliced radishes, then leave it in the fridge until everything else is ready.
And there you have it: easy refried beans with all the trimmings!
You could also enjoy them alongside these vegetarian tacos, or with any one of these vegetarian Mexican recipes!
What the HEALTH makes these beans so healthy?
The reason we can claim that this is a healthy refried beans recipe is because we have made sure to minimise the amount of salt and fat it contains and suggest only healthy toppings to serve it with, such as veggies and low fat sour cream.
Furthermore, we have chosen to use just 1 tbsp of olive oil, a healthy unsaturated fat, instead of lard, which is traditionally used!
However, refried beans are already fundamentally a pretty healthy dish, thanks to their staple ingredient : beans!
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We make our refried beans from canned black beans, but you can use any kind of bean – they all have a similar nutritional profile and flavour. Traditionally, pinto beans are used, but we opted for black beans for their dark colour and sweet, nutty flavour.
But what’s so healthy about beans anyway?
Beans are an excellent source of protein and fibre for vegetarians, alongside many other benefits. One ½ cup serving of black beans contains 8g protein, 7g fibre and 0g fat!
Protein is important for maintaining muscle mass, along with plenty of other functions in your body. As a minimum, it is recommended that you consume around 0.36g protein per pound of body weight daily. Overall, this means a minimum recommended daily intake of around 48g of protein a day for women and 56g of protein a day for men.
One serving of our healthy refried beans contains 18g protein, a good chunk of your daily intake!
Fibre is important because it helps us feel fuller and aids digestion. A high fibre diet is also associated with lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. It is recommended that you consume around 30g fibre per day.
This dish contains 14g fibre per serving – perfect!
Wondering about weight loss?
If you’re looking to lose weight as a vegetarian, bean-based dishes are a good place to start.
The high protein and fibre content we have already mentioned are part of the reason that our healthy refried beans could be a good dish to incorporate into your weight loss meal plan.
Both protein and fibre are vital for keeping you feeling full and healthy. Therefore, eating meals that are high in both these things is the perfect way to ensure that you stay full for as long as possible, reducing the need to snack between meals on empty calories.
If you’re interested in learning more about weight loss as a vegetarian, check out our weight loss e-book, which contains everything you need to know!
Well, now you know how and WHY to make healthy refried beans, all that is left to do is try out what we think is the very best refried bean recipe for health conscious vegetarians! Right this way:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste Toppings 1 oz sharp cheddar (grated)
1 chili pepper (sliced)
½ small red onion (sliced)
½ ripe avocado (sliced)
½ red bell pepper (sliced)
2 radishes (sliced)
2 sprigs cilantro/coriander, fresh
4 tbsp low fat sour cream (or Skyr)
4 corn tortillas (small)
Chipotle or Tabasco sauce (for serving, optional) US Customary Metric Instructions Process the beans in the food processor until they are a homogenous bean paste. 1 can black beans
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In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil . Add the minced garlic cloves and cook until the edges are golden brown. Add the black bean paste and spread over the garlic and oil base. 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic
Fry the bean paste without moving it for about two minutes. Add the salt and black pepper to taste and mix the refried beans until you have a creamy bean puree that doesn’t stick to the sides or bottom of the pan, if needed add a little water to make it extra smooth. Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the tortillas according to package instructions. Serve the refried beans with warm tortillas, cheese , red onion , avocado , bell pepper , radishes , cilantro leaves , sour cream , and chipotle or tabasco sauce (optionally). 1 oz sharp cheddar, ½ small red onion, ½ ripe avocado, ½ red bell pepper, 2 radishes, 2 sprigs cilantro/coriander, fresh, 4 tbsp low fat sour cream, 4 corn tortillas, Chipotle or Tabasco sauce
You can also bake the nachos with the bean spread and the cheese in the oven for about 3 minutes for a nice gooey-cheesy bake! Then serve with the other toppings as usual. NOTES You can make pickled radishes instead or raw radishes with the following ingredients: 3 tbsp white vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 radishes, sliced In a small bowl mix the white vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Add the sliced radishes and allow to rest until needed. Enjoyed this? Try another: Classic lunch Vegetarian Baked Beans Mexican inspired Black Bean Burrito Bowl Simple dump and bake Bean and Pasta Casserole Brunch favourite Huevos Rancheros Nutrition Nutrition Facts Healthy Refried Beans and Tortillas Amount per Serving Calories 402 % Daily Value* Fat 16 g 25 % Saturated Fat 6 g 38 % Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g Monounsaturated Fat 7 g Cholesterol 23 mg 8 % Sodium 357 mg 16 % Potassium 710 mg 20 % Carbohydrates 49 g 16 % Fiber 14 g 58 % Sugar 3 g 3 % Protein 18 g 36 % Vitamin A 602 IU 12 % Vitamin C 38 mg 46 % Calcium 211 mg 21 % Iron 4 mg 22 % * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tag @HurryTheFoodUp on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece!
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Photo: Pavel Danilyuk
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