what quantity of beans = 1lb of meat in a recipe?

[Photojess]

Looking to substitute beans in a meat dish, but what would the equivalent be?

Thanks!

[froggythefrog]

I don't think there's a hard fast rule there. I would try substituting cooked beans by volume. Ie., put a pile of beans in that takes up the same amount of space.

[Photojess]

hmmm, ok. I didn't know if a 14 or 15 oz can of beans would be the same as meat. it would take up less volume probably.

anyone know if a can's worth of protein would be the same or so as white meat?
I really don't know if I'm overthinking this....am I?

[abroadinSacto]

You'll probably wind up more satisfied eating a nice bean dish rather than try to make a meat dish with beans as a substitute.

[Photojess]

I just want to substitute....hubby's willing to try, so there is a new recipe I want to try, including some other soups and stews, that could easily have substitutions made. I just want to make sure that I am using enough or not too many.

[animallover7249]

You might have to experiment with it to get it how you want it. I've never used beans in replace of meat in a recipe, though.

[Photojess]

ok, so it took some looking online, but I found the answer:

excerpted "In the new dietary guidelines issued by the government, beans are listed in two separate categories: as a meat equivalent or as a vegetable. If you're eating beans as a side dish, a half-cup serving is sufficient. If you're replacing meat with beans, a quarter-cup serving of cooked beans equals 1 ounce of meat in protein value.

Instead of a three-ounce hamburger made from lean ground beef, you can have three-quarters of a cup of kidney beans, for example. The burger has 228 calories and more than 15 grams of fat. The beans have 168 calories and less than one gram of fat."

and the site: http://www.althealth.co.uk/help_and_advice/nutrition/beans/

[Apple Eater]

Very good to know.

[Photojess]

Hth!

[Photojess]

oh, and I just found that 1 2/3 cups = 1 can of beans if that helps anyone too!

[Amira]

If it helps anyone, I use one 15 oz can of red beans when I make a pot of vegetable soup. There are about 6 servings in the pot.

Also, I have found that when starting with dry beans, use less than you think or you will be eating beans forever! :lol:

[Photojess]

they expand 2 1/2 times their weight I think I read.

[Nickle00]

I found that 1/4 cup of dry beans equals one ounce of meat. When substituting beans in recipes you just kind of have to play with it. My boyfriend is omni and eats only vegetarian at home so I try to come up with omni friendly recipes as much as possible. If you're ever looking for recipes PM me and I'll share some of mine.

[froggythefrog]

One thing I was going to mention (but did not want to make life hard) is if you were trying to substitute for protein, the amino acid content of beans and that of meat is different enough that while you can create a dish that has all the essential amino acids of the meat, you'd probably have a difficult time matching amino acids by ratio (and it wouldn't be necessary).

Where protein is concerned, most foods have some and by eating a variety, you will get sufficient protein. Legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms are all protein-rich foods. Even dark leafy greens provide protein, however. Fruit has the least protein, but provides other vital nutritional benefits.

[Photojess]

thanks Froggy. I figured that too, and with all of the fiber, sometimes I've found out (like last night) that a serving may actually be too big, so just have to go by how it feels or how full I am.