Senior Care Blog

5 Beans to Incorporate In Your Mom’s Heart-Healthy Diet

If your mom was recently diagnosed with heart disease, beans are a great way to incorporate fiber into her heart-healthy diet.
Heart-Healthy Diet: In-Home Care Gainesville TX
Heart-Healthy Diet: In-Home Care Gainesville TX

Your mom’s health took a turn for the worse and her doctor diagnosed her with heart disease. She has to have heart surgery, but her cardiology team is also telling you that she needs to change to a heart-healthy diet. You’ve been told to arrange home health care services when she returns home.

Your mom’s cardiologist wants her to switch to a high-fiber, low-fat diet and says you should work with a dietitian to learn how to plan and prepare these meals. One thing you’ve been told to stock up on is dried beans due to their fiber content, lack of saturated fat, and low-sodium levels. 

Dried beans are inexpensive, and they can help you save money on grocery bills. The other benefit to dried beans is that in an air-tight storage container, they can store for upwards of 30 years. Their shelf life is amazing! Here are five beans to keep on hand.

Adzuki Beans

Adzuki beans are small red beans used commonly in Asian foods containing red bean paste. One cup of cooked adzuki beans contains:

  • 0.1 gram of fat
  • 7.3 grams of fiber
  • 7.5 grams of protein
  • 8 mg sodium
  • 28 mg of calcium
  • 532 mg of potassium

Black Beans

Black beans are used in many Latin American dishes, such as black beans and rice. They have a meaty texture that makes them a great choice for homemade refried beans or as a filling for burritos. One cup of cooked black beans contains:

  • 0.54 grams of fat
  • 1.7 mg sodium
  • 8.7 grams of fiber
  • 8.86 grams of protein
  • 27 mg of calcium
  • 355 mg of potassium

Chickpeas

Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas are a popular bean for vegetarian curries, vegetable burgers, and salads. Canned chickpeas are versatile, but purchase the no-salt version to keep sodium content down. Otherwise, you can purchase dried chickpeas and cook them yourself.

  • 4.2 grams gram of fat
  • 8 mg sodium
  • 12.5 grams of fiber
  • 14.5 grams of protein
  • 80.4 mg of calcium
  • 477 mg of potassium

Cranberry Beans

Cranberry beans are a type of Italian bean known for their thick skin that helps them hold their shape during cooking. They’re great in hot pots, stews, and soups.

  • 0.8 gram of fat
  • 1.8 mg sodium
  • 16.5 grams of protein
  • 17.7 grams of fiber
  • 88.5 mg of calcium
  • 685 mg of potassium

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are very heart-healthy beans that are readily available in dried form or in cans. Canned beans can be a better option as dried beans must be cooked properly to avoid a type of food poisoning known as phytohaemagglutinin.

  • 0.5 gram of fat
  • 2 mg sodium
  • 7.4 grams of fiber
  • 8.7 grams of protein
  • 28 mg of calcium
  • 403 mg of potassium

Other Helpful Home Health Care Services After Heart Surgery

Your mom is also going to need home health care services to monitor her blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen saturation levels for several weeks following heart surgery. She needs a nurse to set up IV lines and administer medications for pain relief while she recuperates.

All of these services are available from a home health care agency. Talk to a specialist in home health care to get started.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Health Care in Gainesville, TX please contact the caring staff at Arcy Healthcare today. 469-293-1515

Sources: https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/healthy-tips/are-red-kidney-beans-toxic

Jimmie Stapleton

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