Folks on limited budgets should know that they can stretch their food pennies with a tasty, nutritious combination of pinto beans and corn. Such a diet is not the marginal bill of fare you might imagine, either. Rather, as generations of poor people throughout Mexico and the southwestern United States have proven, it can supply a fair amount of the body’s daily requirements of vitamins and minerals and a goodly portion of the necessary proteins.
Neither beans nor corn alone, of course, is such a complete food because neither is a complete protein. Beans, however, contain all the essential amino acids but one, methionine, which just happens to be the amino acid that corn does have. Together, a mixture of two parts corn and one part beans is almost equal in protein quality to fresh milk. Add some fruits and vegetables to supply the vitamins and minerals that beans and corn lack and top with some real milk, and you’ve got a fairly well-balanced diet that is both tasty and very economical. The further addition of fresh wheat germ and an occasional egg should round this menu off a lot closer to nutritionally perfect than the “average” American diet without raising the total cost too many pennies.
Now I’m not recommending that everyone completely switch from sirloin steaks, or even hamburger, to a morning, noon and night diet of pinto beans and corn. However, when money’s short or you’re trying to save every extra nickel for the down-payment on that farm, it is nice to know that a regular substitution of corn and beans for a meat dish can spin the old budget out by a rather large factor.
For instance, in New Mexico–where pinto beans are dryfarmed in semi-arid fields–they may be purchased in bulk at minimal cost. Even after the beans are shipped half-way across the country, they usually sell at a super-low price of 15-20¢ per pound (less than 10¢ a day per person) that will fit almost anybody’s food budget. (I bought 10 pounds of bulk mixed beans in West Virginia recently for only 10¢ a pound.–JS) Dry corn is just as inexpensive, making the combination much more economical than meat, milk or any other source of protein.
The following traditional recipes from the southwestern section of this country will rapidly introduce you, if you need an introduction, to both dried corn and pinto beans.
Bean Recipes
Pinto beans, or frijoles as they’re called in Mexico, can be prepared in a variety of mouth-watering ways. They should always be cooked a long time at a low temperature (that’s the secret of making them tasty). An earthenware pot is best for this cooking method but a metal kettle can also be used with success.
Pinto Beans (Frijoles)
2 cups beans
10 cups water (approx.)
4 tablespoons bacon fat or 1 cup diced salt pork
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
Pick rocks, seed or bad beans from the pintos. Wash and cover with water and let the beans soak overnight. If the pintos haven’t been soaked, put them over heat, bring to a boil, cover, turn off heat and let the beans sit for one hour before continuing with the cooking process. Add sugar and garlic to the pintos, place them over heat, cover and simmer.
Throw in some bacon fat or a chunk of salt pork after the beans have cooked at least a half hour and add enough boiling water during cooking to keep the pintos covered. Depending on altitude and water softness, the total cooking time will be three to six hours.
Add paprika and chili powder when the pintos are about half done and, after they’ve become tender, add salt and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the seasoning has cooked into the beans and the juice has slightly thickened.
Bean Cakes
2 cups mashed beans
1 small onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
Mash beans with a fork and add cornmeal, salt, flour and chili powder. Stir well. Add the chopped onion and mix until well blended. If the mixture is too dry, thin it with bean juice or a small amount of water. Heat a skillet and grease it with bacon drippings. When the pan is hot, drop in the bean mixture by the spoonful and mash each cake flat with a spoon. Brown and serve.
Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
Melt about three teaspoons of bacon fat for each cup of leftover beans (the fat keeps the beans from losing their flavor). Add a little flour and some chopped onions or hot chili peppers to the pintos and spoon them into the hot grease. Grated cheese may be melted into the beans just before they’re taken off the fire. Serve piping hot.
Pinto Bean Sandwich
Pinto bean sandwiches served with tall glasses of iced tea add zest to any lunch.
½ cup pinto beans, mashed with fork
1 tablespoon chopped green chili peppers
1 tablespoon chopped or grated onions
1 tablespoon diced celery or dill pickles
Add the other ingredients to the mashed beans and spread the mixture on slices of homemade bread or roll it into a tortilla. Top with lettuce or mustard greens.
Pinto Bean Salad
2 cups cooked pinto beans, drained
2 green chili peppers, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
½ cup grated cheese
½ small onion, chopped
½ cup diced celery
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Toss with three tablespoons salad oil and serve on lettuce leaf.
Corn Recipes
The corn tortilla, piping hot from the griddle, or a skillet of bright yellow cornbread–with a platter of sliced red tomatoes, fresh green onions and a tall glass of ice cold milk served with that steaming pot of pinto beans–will round out a luscious, penny-saving meal. To make the tortilla, you’ll first need some lime hominy.
Lime Hominy (Nixtamal)
Hominy from blue native or concho corn is considered best for tortillas, but other varieties can be used successfully.
2 quarts corn
4 heaping tablespoons powdered lime (purchased from the hardware store)
4 quarts water
Dissolve the lime in water and then add the corn. Stir well and put the mixture in a granite or enameled pan (do not use a metal container). Place the water-lime-corn mixture over low heat and cook until the hulls loosen from the kernels. Remove from heat, drain off the liquid and wash the corn several times in cold water until all the lime is removed and the water is clear.
Lime Hominy Tortillas (Tortillas de Nixtamal)
With lime hominy in hand, you’re ready to make tortilla dough, or masa.
Run the hominy through the medium knife of a food chopper several times. If it’s too dry, add a bit of water so the masa will hold together. Shape the dough into balls the size of a hen egg, place one end of a damp kitchen towel on a flat, hard surface, put a ball of masa on it and cover the dough with the other end of the towel. Flatten the tortilla with a small board or rolling pin until it’s about 1/8inch thick. Or, if you prefer, work the ball into a large, thin pancake with your hands. Lightly grease a griddle and cook the tortilla on both sides.
Old Fashioned Cornbread
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups milk
3 teaspoons baking powder
Measure cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir. Add milk, mix well, add eggs and beat thoroughly. Stir in the bacon drippings and beat again until well blended. Melt two tablespoons of fat in a heated cast iron skillet, pour the batter into the hot pan and place it in a 400° F. oven. Cook about 40 minutes, or until the cornbread is lightly browned on top. If thinner, crustier bread is desired, divide the batter into two skillets and bake it about 25 minutes.
Chili Cheese Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal,
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 can green chili peppers, chopped
1 cup grated cheese
4-5 tablespoons melted butter or bacon drippings
½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Mix the dry ingredients together, add milk and beat well Add butter or fat, stir, drop in eggs and beat vigorously until well blended. Stir in grated cheese, pour the batter into hot, greased skillet and place the pan in a 325° F oven. Bake 50 minutes and serve hot.
Dried Beans and Corn
Both beans and corn can be dried and kept for long periods and kept for long periods of time with very little loss of flavor or nutritional value. Drying is a handy method of preserving the foods because the process reduces 100 pounds of either to only about 10 pounds.
The Dryer
You can quite quite easily and inexpensively construct a drying tray or trays to use over your stove or range. Make the trays whatever size you find handiest by nailing together rectangular frames of½ X 2-inch wooden strips and tacking small mesh wire screening across the frames’ bottoms. The tray may be suspended from the ceiling and used while cooking or–if this is inconvenient–hung from a framework crane that may be swung out of the way when not in use.
One important point: when drying any kind of food over an oil stove, a tin or galvanized sheet should be placed below the bottom tray to prevent oil fumes from reaching and penetrating the edibles.
Drying Beans
After the beans have matured and dried on the vine they should be shelled, placed on the drying racks and heated to 165-180° F. for 10 to 15 minutes. This will destroy any insect eggs in the beans. If you don’t want to build trays, spread the beans on a flat baking pan and put them in the oven. The beans are dry enough when they no longer stick together after you squeeze a few in your hand, or when a single bean can be pressed without moisture coming to the surface. Remove the beans from heat and let them cool.
Drying Corn
Dried sweet corn can be used in many delightful and economical soups, breads, casseroles and stews. Select freshly gathered ears in the milk stage, ready for table use. Blanch the corn by wrapping the ears in a piece of cheesecloth or placing them in a wire basket or similar porous container, and plunging them into boiling water for 8-12 minutes to set the milk. Blanching gives the corn a thorough cleaning, removes objectionable flavors and odors, kills bacteria and softens and loosens the fiber to allow quicker and more uniform evaporation of moisture during drying. Do not blanch longer than the prescribed time or color will be lost, the starch will partially cook to a paste and–worst of all–some of the valuable nutrients will dissolve out.
After blanching, drain the corn well and slice off the rows of kernels with a sharp knife. Spread the corn one layer deep on a drying rack or put it in a pan in a 130° F. oven. Gradually raise the temperature to 140° F. while stirring frequently. When the corn is hard and semi-transparent remove it from the trays and let it cool.
Storage Containers
When the dry beans and corn have cooled, place them in milk cartons (the wax coating makes these cartons great for storage) or some other light and insect-proof boxes, bags or cans. The containers should not be completely air-tight since the corn and beans must be allowed to “breathe” as they continue to dry in the cans.
Conditioning
Both beans and corn should be conditioned daily for the first 10-14 days after drying. Keep the containers open and covered only with clean, dry cloth during this time, and stir the dried products or pour them from container to container regularly. When no change in moisture content has been observed for several days, the food is ready for permanent storage.
Storage
After conditioning, the dried corn and beans may be sealed in the containers and stored for long periods of time if kept warm, dry, well-ventilated and protected from insects and rodents. Check the boxes, cans and/or bags from time to time and–if any dampness is found–remove the contents, dry them in a warm oven and return the corn and beans to the containers.
Revitalizing Dried Beans and Corn
Approximately three to five cups of water must be added to a recipe for every cup of dried corn or beans. Before using the dried corn, cover it with water and soak the kernels until they are swollen. Add enough water to cover the swelled kernels (if necessary), put in a bit of honey or sugar and bring the corn to a boil. Then turn the heat down and cook the corn slowly until it’s almost tender. Salt, pepper and butter to taste and finish cooking.
Dried corn may also be run through a food chopper and added to soups at the same time that onions and carrots are dropped into the boiling water.
FAQs
Every time legumes like beans, lentils, and peanuts are combined with grains like wheat, rice, and corn, a complete protein is born.
Is corn and beans a good combination? ›
Corn + Beans
A calorie-restricted diet that includes four weekly servings of protein- and fiber-rich legumes has been proven to aid weight loss more effectively than a diet that doesn't include beans, according to Spanish researchers. And pairing beans with corn can help boost the slimming effect.
Do corn and peas make a complete protein? ›
Then there are foods known as incomplete proteins, including beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, peas, and corn.
What goes with beans to make a complete protein? ›
Combining incomplete proteins to form a complete protein
Nuts or seeds with whole grains (peanut butter on whole wheat toast) Whole grains with beans (beans and rice; hummus and pita bread; bean-based chili and crackers; refried beans and tortillas) Beans with nuts or seeds (salad with chickpeas and sunflower seeds)
Which foods have all 9 essential amino acids? ›
Foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, soy, quinoa and buckwheat. Foods that contain some but not all the essential amino acids are called incomplete proteins. These foods include nuts, seeds, beans and some grains.
How can I get enough protein without eating meat? ›
These (mostly) vegetarian foods are high in protein and heart-healthy too.
...
How to get protein without the meat
- Pulses. Pulses are an inexpensive protein choice, are high in fibre and a source of iron. ...
- Soya beans. ...
- Quinoa. ...
- Nuts. ...
- Seeds. ...
- Cereals and grains. ...
- Quorn™ ...
- Dairy.
The Iroquois and the Cherokee called corn, bean, and squash “the three sisters” because they nurture each other like family when planted together. These agriculturalists placed corn in small hills planting beans around them and interspersing squash throughout of the field.
Do kidney beans and corn make a complete protein? ›
Beans are incomplete proteins because they are low in one key amino acid (amino acids are used by the body to build protein) called methionine. Cereal grains—including corn, rice and wheat—are high in methionine yet lack another amino acid found in beans.
What protein goes well with corn? ›
Top 10 Meat Dishes That Pair Well With Corn On The Cob
- Pot Ribs. The rich, savory flavors of the ribs complement the sweetness of the corn, and the two dishes also share a similar cooking method. ...
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. ...
- Grilled Ribeye. ...
- Sloppy Joes. ...
- Chicken Nuggets. ...
- Grilled Chicken. ...
- Fried Chicken. ...
- Pork Chops.
Tofu, tempeh, and edamame
Soybeans are considered a whole source of protein. This means that they provide your body all the essential amino acids it needs.
Nut butter is also a source of protein, which is essential for building and repairing muscles. Although peanut butter is not a complete protein — meaning it does not contain all of the essential amino acids the body needs — it does count toward a person's daily protein intake.
Is pea protein hard on the gut? ›
Pea protein is a particularly valuable plant protein because it is tolerated by even sensitive guts (it's unlikely to cause bloating and gas, which soy protein might), and because of the key health benefits below.
Do pinto beans and rice make a complete protein? ›
The combination of beans and rice creates a complete protein. Beans alone and rice alone both lack certain essential amino acids. If eaten together, however, each contributes what the other is missing to form a complete protein.
What are 4 complete protein foods? ›
Complete proteins.
- Fish.
- Poultry (chicken, duck, or turkey)
- Eggs.
- Dairy products (milk, yogurt, or cheese, for example)
- Beef or pork.
- Soy products, such as tofu and edamame.
potatoes and beans are also a proteinate food but make a complete protein.
What is the number 1 healthiest food in the world? ›
Lemons. Lemons have been widely regarded in the health industry as the world's healthiest food. The sour fruit is an alkalising powerfood; they have strong anti-inflammatory qualities and can even help to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
What fruit has the most amino acids? ›
12. Are there amino acids in the fruits? A. Fruits have a high content of leucine, an amino acid that helps regulate insulin levels. Fruits like bananas, apples, berries etc., are rich sources of amino acids. Apple is one of the most amino acid-rich fruit, containing around 16 amino acids.
Which nuts are complete proteins? ›
Pistachios qualify as a source of protein and the Food and Drug Administration defines a complete protein as a food that contains “all of the essential amino acids in adequate amounts.”1 Adequate levels of all nine essential amino acids are shown to be present in roasted pistachios, based on a Protein Digestibility ...
What food is highest in protein? ›
Top 10 Protein Foods
- Skinless, white-meat poultry.
- Lean beef (including tenderloin, sirloin, eye of round) ADVERTIsem*nT.
- Skim or low-fat milk.
- Skim or low-fat yogurt.
- Fat-free or low-fat cheese.
- Eggs.
- Lean pork (tenderloin)
- Beans.
There is no doubt that meat provides protein, but so do beans, eggs, nuts, yogurt and even broccoli. The following non-meat foods contain plenty of protein: Nuts and seeds (4-10 grams per 1 ounce serving): walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, almond butter, hemp, chia and flax seeds.
Three types of beans were planted: Cherokee Trail of Tears, Hidatsa Shield, and True Red Cranberry. These beans grew along with the corn, helping to maintain a good root system and preventing the rows from rain washout.
What were the 3 cash crops? ›
Food crops such as rice, wheat, and corn are also grown as cash crops to meet the global food demand. Production of many of these crops is a form of export-oriented production, a development associated with European colonization in the topics and subtropics.
Why do farmers plant sunflowers around corn? ›
Sunflowers will also help farmers who have trouble fighting through heavy corn trash and bad seeding conditions. Sunflowers can be seeded later and deeper if necessary, allowing farmers to seed a crop even if it is getting late and the soil is wet.
What is a combination of beans and corn called? ›
Succotash (from Narragansett sahquttahhash, "broken corn kernels") is a vegetable dish consisting primarily of sweet corn with lima beans or other shell beans.
How do you make pinto beans a complete protein? ›
Pinto bean contains a moderate amount of protein - about 12 grams per cup. However, pinto bean provides only 8 of the 9 essential amino acids sufficiently - it is a little low on methionine. Pinto bean pairs well with brazil nut, pili nut, chia seeds, sesame seeds or wild rice to create a complete protein profile.
Is tuna complete protein? ›
One of the major nutritional advantages of eating tuna is that it provides complete protein. This means it contains all the amino acids your body needs to survive but can't produce itself.
What can you add to corn to make a complete protein? ›
Cranberry will also complement corn since it's low in protein but high in lysine content. When you add 2.5 ears of corn to 1.4 cups of cranberry, it will create a complete protein. The corn to cranberry ratio should be 1:0.7 to 1:0.7.
Which has more protein rice or corn? ›
Corn has more sugars and protein, but rice is higher in calories and carbohydrates because of its starch content. Corn has a lower glycemic index while rice is the preferred choice in low-fat diet.
What is the most nutritionally complete vegetable? ›
1. Spinach. This leafy green tops the chart as one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables. That's because 1 cup (30 grams) of raw spinach provides 16% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin A plus 120% of the DV for vitamin K — all for just 7 calories ( 1 ).
Is an egg a complete protein? ›
“Eggs are a great source of a complete protein,” according to McCune. “That means one egg contains six grams of protein and all the essential amino acids your body needs.
The casein in Greek yogurt is a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids: methionine, lysine, isoleucine, histidine, valine, tryptophan, threonine, phenylalanine and leucine.
Do oats have complete protein? ›
Oats contain all nine essential amino acids necessary to make up a complete protein. However, oats don't have quite enough of the amino acid lysine to qualify as a complete protein.
What has more protein than peanut butter? ›
As it turns out, peanut butter has a small lead over almond butter in terms of protein content. There are 6.7 grams of protein in a serving of almond butter, and 7.1 grams of protein in a serving of peanut butter. In comparison, one large egg has just over 6 grams of protein.
Which peanut butter gives highest protein? ›
MuscleBlaze Peanut Butter delivers a blend of peanuts and whey protein in each serving. With 80% protein from roasted peanuts and 20% protein from whey, MuscleBlaze Protein Peanut Butter makes the best staple to add to your everyday fitness diet. It is available in a natural form with scrumptious taste and nutty aroma.
Does pea protein cause joint pain? ›
Pea protein contains purines, which can affect people who suffer from gout, since purine breaks down into uric acid that forms crystals in the joints and can cause inflammation and pain.
Is pea protein hard on the kidneys? ›
Pea protein is beneficial to the kidney for the reasons stated above. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy pea protein powder seeing that it has so many benefits. It mixes well with any diet you're following so you should consider turning to pea protein for its nutritional and health benefits.
Can too much protein hurt your gut? ›
Most research indicates that eating more than 2 g per kg of body weight daily of protein for a long time can cause health problems. Symptoms associated with too much protein include: intestinal discomfort and indigestion.
Can I live on beans and rice? ›
Still, if rice and beans is all you've got, it's a pretty decent choice. But "you're not going to have a complete diet," she says. The combo lacks Vitamin C and other essential nutrients. "It's extremely important that you eat meat and vegetables," Campos says.
What amino acid is missing from pinto beans? ›
“Beans contain isoleucine and lysine, but lack methionine and tryptophan. Therefore, together, they make a complete protein.
How much protein do I need a day? ›
The recommended dietary allowance to prevent deficiency for an average sedentary adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, a person who weighs 165 pounds, or 75 kilograms, should consume 60 grams of protein per day.
4 Foods You Could (Almost) Exclusively Live Off Of
- Potatoes. Advertisem*nt. ...
- Human Breast Milk. Advertisem*nt. ...
- Kale. Advertisem*nt. ...
- Trail Mix.
Meat, poultry and fish are excellent sources of protein. Varieties with little to no fat, such as skinless chicken breast, deli style turkey breast or canned light tuna, are strictly protein foods.
What are the 3 top protein foods? ›
8 Best High-Protein Foods
- Lean Beef. 22 grams protein (3-ounce serving) of 93%-lean ground beef. ...
- Chicken. 27 grams protein (3-ounce serving) of skinless chicken breast. ...
- Salmon. 19 grams protein (3-ounce serving) ...
- Eggs. 6 grams protein ( 1 large egg) ...
- Peanut Butter. 7 grams protein (2 tablespoons) ...
- Pasta. ...
- Cottage Cheese. ...
- Lentils.
By combining complementary proteins -- grains, like rice or bread, and plant-based protein sources, like peanuts, peanut butter or beans – you create a complete protein.
Are sweet potatoes complete proteins? ›
A Source of Incomplete Protein
Although sweet potatoes add some protein to your diet, plant-based protein foods are incomplete. This means that they do not provide all of the more than 20 essential amino acids your body needs on a daily basis.
Do pinto beans have complete protein? ›
Excellent Plant-Based Protein Source
Their protein and iron content makes pinto beans an ideal food choice for vegetarians and vegans. However, pinto beans are not a complete protein, meaning they do not contain all the essential amino acids the body needs and can only get from food.
What can I add to pinto beans to make complete protein? ›
Pinto bean contains a moderate amount of protein - about 12 grams per cup. However, pinto bean provides only 8 of the 9 essential amino acids sufficiently - it is a little low on methionine. Pinto bean pairs well with brazil nut, pili nut, chia seeds, sesame seeds or wild rice to create a complete protein profile.
Is corn a complete source of protein? ›
Corn, as well as most other plant-based types of protein, does have protein, but it is incomplete -- lacking in a few of the essential amino acids. Some amino acids are nonessential, meaning your body makes them. Other amino acids are essential.
What can you combine with corn to make a complete protein? ›
Mixing cauliflower with corn is a good idea since it's high in lysine. Add about 223 grams of corn with 21.4 grams of cauliflower to make a complete protein side dish. Make sure to have a ratio of 1:0.1 of corn to cauliflower to make a complete protein.
Do pinto beans have collagen? ›
Beans and legumes are another example of foods high in collagen. This is because of their high protein content.
Like other plant foods, most beans do not deliver "complete" protein, or all the needed amino acids. However, the exception is soybeans and the foods made from them, which do supply complete protein.
What beans hold the most protein? ›
Fava Beans:
With nearly 26.12 g/100 g, it's the legume with the highest protein content. Fava beans are a nutritional powerhouse, providing ample carbohydrates, protein, fiber and vitamins, even when dried!
Why do you put baking soda in pinto beans? ›
The addition of baking soda to the cooking water does two things: It adds sodium ions that weaken the pectin as explained above, and more importantly, an alkaline environment causes the pectin molecules to break down into smaller molecules that greatly weakens the pectin causing the beans to soften much more rapidly.
Do pinto beans and potatoes make a complete protein? ›
potatoes and beans are also a proteinate food but make a complete protein.
What proteins do beans lack? ›
10 Satisfying High-Protein Breakfasts
“For example, grains such as rice typically lack the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine, but contain methionine and tryptophan,” Giancoli says. “Beans contain isoleucine and lysine, but lack methionine and tryptophan. Therefore, together, they make a complete protein.
Is corn good for losing belly fat? ›
Corn can cause weight gain if eaten in excess like any other food. However, when eaten in moderation, the high fiber content in corn can contribute to weight loss. Is corn good for losing belly fat? Corn can contribute to weight reduction as a whole, and it does not have any particular effect on belly fat.
Why are beans not a complete protein? ›
Beans are incomplete proteins because they are low in one key amino acid (amino acids are used by the body to build protein) called methionine. Cereal grains—including corn, rice and wheat—are high in methionine yet lack another amino acid found in beans.
Are any beans a complete protein? ›
The answer is: not without rice! Most beans are high in lysine but low in the essential amino acid methionine. Whole grain rice on the other hand is low in lysine, but rather high in methionine.
Are beans enough protein? ›
“Beans and legumes are fiber-rich nutrient powerhouses and an excellent source of protein,” says Hopsecger. “One serving (1/2 cup cooked) of beans provides about 7 grams of protein, the same as 1 ounce of meat.” Beans and legumes also keep you fuller, longer because they are so rich in fiber.
