Baked Beans, Nature’s Superfood

New Zealanders munch their way through an average of 2.6 kilograms of baked beans per head each year but few would realise the true nutritional benefits of this 'super food'.

The nutritional advantages of baked beans and the tomato sauce they are cooked in relate to iron, folate, protein, fibre and lycopene. Here's how baked beans can add nutrition to your life:

Iron

Iron deficiency remains the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. This is true for affluent and poor countries alike. Achieving an iron balance is particularly important for:

• Adolescent girls and women (menstruating and pregnancy)
• Children and adolescents (Iron required for growth and learning)
• Vegetarians (need plant foods containing iron)
• Athletes (impacts on performance)

Baked beans are a good source of iron, although iron from legumes is less well absorbed than from meat. The iron from baked beans is best utilised by the body if it is eaten with a vitamin C rich food such as broccoli or orange juice.

It is important that people who don't eat much meat supplement their intake with plant foods that contain iron. Baked beans are ideal for those who eat little or no meat. Increasingly, people are choosing to have a least one meat free day in the week. As a plant food that contains iron, baked beans are ideal for that purpose.

Folate

All women of child bearing age should consume adequate folate. Folate or folic Acid is linked to many health benefits. Folate deficiency can lead to anaemia and the most publicly promoted benefit of folate is that it helps reduce the incidence of neural tube defects in babies if consumed prior to conception and for the first three months of pregnancy. The National Heart Foundation recommends choosing folate rich food such as legumes as part of a normal and varied diet. Baked beans are a source of folate.

Protein

Protein is important for building muscles and children need protein to grow. Women require additional protein during pregnancy and athletes have increased requirements because of its links to muscle growth, strength, repair and recovery. High protein foods are also important for vegetarians.

Although baked beans don't contain all the eight amino acids essential to the diet, wholemeal bread or an egg is all that is required to provide the balance. It is also good to know that baked beans are virtually free from saturated fat.

Fibre

Dietary fibre is essential for healthy bowel function and comes in three forms. Baked beans contain all three types of dietary fibre.

Lycopene

The tomato sauce in which baked beans are cooked and served is rich in the antioxidant lycopene. Antioxidants attack free radicals, which are known to cause damage in the body. Lycopene is the substance that gives tomatoes their red colour and it's better absorbed by the body if the tomatoes have been heat processed, as in the tomato sauce accompanying the baked beans.

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