Step 18 - Beans, nuts and seeds
These two are great sources of protein that can often be overlooked.
If you enjoy beans, they can be a staple in your diet. They can be inexpensive, high-quality food, enhancing salads, soups, used as a dip or spread, or mixed with vegetables as chili. I unfortunately do not have that much experience with beans, but it appears they are best cooked a very long time. Following the average recipe for an hour or two of cooking time will often produce a dish that causes gas. Some sites claim that older beans will cause more gas. Here is a website that promises success with beans while minimizing gas - adding certain herbs also supposedly helps. Dried epazote (mentioned in the article) is available in Boulder from Jay Hill Farm. Dried beans are most plentiful at the Abbondanza Farmer's Market stand.
Local nuts and seeds can be hard to find. It is easy enough to grow your own sunflowers, though not all of course are suitable for seed production, and you will have to fight the birds for it. Coastalfields farm does sell sunflower seeds. Pumpkin seeds are also delicious and nutritious, and a pain in the neck to prepare... but they could be used as a snack for kids, for example. Just the fact that it is so hard to get them out will slow you down from eating too many! Almonds do grow in Colorado, and walnuts too, though I have not found a local producer.
Myrto Ashe
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