Beans and grain have been central in human cultures for as far back as we can see. They remain the backbone of agriculture. There are over 40,000 kinds of beans in seed banks. Less than one percent are commercially grown.
Beans are relatively easy to grow, need very little water, and store well. They are versatile, economical, and highly nutritious. Beans are essential in a food security plan, whether personal or national.
Beans enrich the soil they grow from, adding nitrogen and enhancing the life in it. Beans take nitrogen from the air and ‘fix’ it into the soil. Nitrogen is essential for plants to create protein. Beans, as a nitrogen fixer, leave soil with more nitrogen than before they were planted, while the bean crop itself is rich in protein.
Best Human Food
Beans are some of the most nutritionally complete foods there are. They are astonishingly good food with antioxidant flavonoid, anthocyanins and polyphenols, essential vitamins, minerals, excellent plant-based protein, and complex carbohydrates. Their highly soluble fiber helps regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol, while the insoluble fiber aids the intestines, controls appetite, and helps with weight management.
Clifford Beninger, Ph.D., an environmental biologist and former researcher for the USDA’s Bean Research Unit says, “Beans are really loaded with antioxidant compounds. We didn’t know how potent they were until now. In general, darker colored seed coats were associated with higher levels of flavonoids, and therefore higher antioxidant activity.” Tests on the antioxidant activity of flavonoids found in 12 common varieties of dry beans show the anthocyanin compounds are the most active antioxidants in beans. The findings added antioxidant activity to a long list of benefits in beans. The study was published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
George L. Hosfield, Ph.D., a plant geneticist, told Reuters Health that, “Beans are probably the best human plant food there is. With the additional bonus of their antioxidants, you have almost the perfect food.” He explained that beans are full of protein and fiber, low in fat, and contain important vitamins and minerals like folic acid B9, iron, potassium, and zinc, while providing steady energy from their complex carbohydrates.
Protein is assembled from twenty different amino acids. Nine are deemed ‘essential’ because the body does not make them. They must come from food. Non-soybean or colored beans tend to lack the essential amino acids methionine and tryptophan. Both are abundant in whole grain. Colored beans have lysine, threonine, and isoleucine, which are lacking in most whole grain. Combining whole grain and beans provides a well-balanced array of amino acids needed by people for complete protein.
USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University wrote, “Whole grain helps regulate blood sugar by slowing down the conversion of complex carbohydrates into sugar. In fact, low-glycemic index foods such as whole grain reduce hunger and can help to control weight.” Agriculture Research Service completed a study of more than 2,000 people concluding, “…at least three or more servings of whole grain foods every day can reduce the chances of developing metabolic syndrome — a condition marked by a combination of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control, low HDL good cholesterol, and high blood fats.” Pure whole grain and EDEN beans are a solid step toward quality of life improvement.
Cream of the Organic Crop
In the late 1960s Eden Foods began encouraging non-chemical, organic bean farming — Beans grown by people Eden Foods knows and trusts. These salt of the earth farmers have now used organic methods for decades. Rich, vital soil teems with life and their practiced tending produces the best beans on earth. Most EDEN Beans are grown in the Midwest within a short distance of headquarters. Garbanzo beans and lentils will not grow nearby, requiring the more arid climates of California, Arizona, Colorado, and North Dakota.
Preparing EDEN Dry Beans from scratch is a caring task, and rewarding. As a pot of beans or bean soup is prepared, a soothing comfort fills the home with a promise of deliciously rich satisfaction. Seven kinds of EDEN Dry Beans are available in one-pound boxes — Pinto, Navy, Black, Kidney, Garbanzo, Green Lentils, and soon to come Black Soybeans. Eleven are available in 25 lb. bags. Free recipes, useful tips, preparation, soaking, and cooking suggestions, are at edenfoods.com/recipes and Dry Bean Cooking Basics.
Suitable Convenience
The same EDEN Beans are offered in award-winning, canned, organic EDEN Beans, Seasoned Beans, Refried Beans, Chilies of whole grain and bean, and Rice & Beans with SG Brown Rice. Since 1991, EDEN Beans are canned at Eden Food’s organic, kosher cannery in east central Indiana. They are prepared using methods perfected in home kitchens. Purified water is used to wash, soak, and cook them. EDEN beans are soaked overnight, a beneficial but rare step in the industry, making them easier to digest, and then pressure cooked. In learning how to prepare canned beans, Eden Foods was told it was necessary to add at least two chemicals: calcium chloride to harden the skin so they wouldn’t come apart in cooking, and calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to hold their color. These processing chemicals are in virtually all other canned beans. EDEN Beans are prepared only with pure water and they come out perfectly. Due to vital, organic soil that grows EDEN Beans, their healthier condition allows them to be cooked without the need of untoward chemicals.
Ten Beans w/ no salt added are available in 15 and 29 oz. cans — Pinto, Black Turtle, Black Soy, Black Eyed Peas, Cannellini (White Kidney), Navy, Garbanzo (Chickpeas), Great Northern, Red Kidney, and Small Red Beans. Aduki and Butter Beans (baby Lima) are available in 15 oz. They are enhanced with small amounts of kombu sea vegetable instead of salt.
Five Seasoned Beans are made with Eden selected organic ingredients — Lentils w/Onion and Bay Leaf, Baked Beans w/Sweet Sorghum, Spicy Pinto Beans, Caribbean Black Beans, and Chili Beans. Ready in minutes. Heat, stir, and serve.
Five Refried Beans from mild to spicy — Pinto, Black, Kidney, Spicy Pinto, and Spicy Black Refried Beans. Organic EDEN Refried Beans are creamy purée with pieces of whole bean mixed in. Men’s Health magazine has repeatedly rated them best in taste and nutrition of all canned refried beans. Heat with a small amount of water and/or oil in a skillet. Onions, peppers, corn, and dash of lime are nice additions.
Four Chilies of whole grain and beans — Pinto Bean & Spelt, Great Northern Bean & Barley, Kidney Bean & Kamut, and gluten-free Black Bean & Quinoa Chili. Whole grain in EDEN Chili gives them a chewy texture, and replaces the mystery meat of commercial chili. Beans, barley, kamut, and spelt wheat are U.S. organically grown. Quinoa is from high altitude, small plot farms in the Andes Mountains. Beans are overnight-soaked and thoroughly cooked with whole grain in a savory sauce of organic tomato puree, organic chili spices, organic herbs, and organic vegetables. Commonly, natural and organic brands of chili contain textured vegetable protein (TVP) from chemically refined, genetically engineered soybeans. Award-winning EDEN Chilies are unique. They are American organic family grown beans and whole grain. EDEN Chilies received Grocery Headquarters Selling Wellness Trailblazer Award in the ‘Meal Maker’ category. EDEN Chili was named a ‘Best Food For Women’ by Women’s Health, and both a ‘Best Food For Men’ and a ‘125 Best Foods for Men’ by Men’s Health. Authentically organic EDEN Chili is delicious, more nutritious, and convenience without compromise
Nine Brown Rice & Beans with Lundberg short grain (SG) brown rice are excellent recipe starters and comfort food of the finest, purest ingredients that can be found. Together, brown rice and beans deliver complete protein strength. They are the only canned food of its kind in the U.S. or Canada. Three are mildly seasoned: Brown Rice & Pinto, Brown Rice & Green Lentils, and Brown Rice & Kidney Beans. Six others are more fully seasoned: Caribbean Rice & Black Beans, Cajun Rice & Small Red Beans, Spanish Rice & Pinto Beans, Moroccan Rice & Chickpeas, Mexican Rice & Black Beans, and Curried Rice & Green Lentils. EDEN Beans are soaked overnight, blanched, combined with Lundberg Farms organically grown SG brown rice, organic vegetables, herbs, spices, and a bit of EDEN Sea Salt. They are thoroughly pressure cooked.
Just heat and serve, or use as a base for your creations.
BPA, BPS, and phthalate Free
EDEN food cans have been BPA, BPS, and phthalate-free since April 1999. Eden’s first solution to these endocrine disrupting chemicals was a 1960 vintage custom oleoresin c-enamel can lining. They were only usable for low-acid food such as beans, not for tomatoes. In late 2016 a BPA, BPS, and phthalate-free can was made available for both high and low-acid foods. It is the safest there is, tested and verified BPA, BPS, and phthalate-free by Eden Foods. Eden is confident it is the cleanest can lining available for the food it prepares.
Delicious Versatility
Whether cooked from scratch at home or opening a convenient can, EDEN Beans taste the best and are more nourishing. They are versatile, pure & purifying food. Many are low sodium and gluten free. All are 
pareve.
A Principled Natural Food Company
Principles that respect, encourage, and contribute to life’s well-being. Principles that encourage commonsensical, straightforward, and forthright dealings between people. Fundamental truth has guided Eden Foods since 1968.
Translating macrobiotic principles into dietary suggestions points to the basic need of pure whole grain being the fulcrum of one’s balanced diet. Once that is accomplished, most everything else will take care of itself at all levels; personal, mental, physical, emotional, societal, economic, political, spiritual, environmental, and interpersonal.
Improved judgment results over the long run.
A transition from commercial food to healthy food centered upon whole grain is not an easy process. It is a basic necessity to accomplish freedom, harmony, and to nourish intuition. The transition requires focused persistence. Considerable experience and knowledge about food, its uses, and benefits are available to help those who work to make the change.