Ok so I had this post I was working on and it was so insightful and poignant (if I may say so myself, tee-hee) then all of a sudden I felt like I was hit by a bus.  I was hot and cold and not in the Katy Perry lovelorn way, but in the oh-shit-I-hope-it’s-not-swine-flu way.  So, my brain is officially mush and I’m taking a break.  Hopefully you will enjoy my second choice of a post…it’s about my love, BEANS!

BATTLE OF THE VEGETARIAN REFRIED BEANS

Rosarita Vegetarian Refried Beans

• Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup serving: 120 calories, 2 g fat, 540 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 6 g protein, 10% iron
• Ingredients:  cooked beans, water, less than 2% of the following: canola oil, salt, distilled vinegar, chili pepper, onion powder, spices, garlic powder, natural flavor
• Taste: Uuuh taste like refried beans — nothing creative to say. When it comes to refried pinto beans, Rosarita is the ubiqitous brand.
• Price: $6.59 for 8 pack = $0.82/each
  

Trader Joe’s Vegetarian Refried Pinto Beans – Salsa Style
(My TJ’s does not sell plain flavor, so this is the closest to use for comparison purposes)

• Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup serving: 110 calories, 0.5 g fat, 410 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 6 g protein, 10% iron
• Ingredients:  organic pinto beans, water, tomato paste, sea salt, dehydrated onions, jalapeno peppers, spices
• Taste: Meh. Boring. Not as good as Rosarita.  Texture has to be spooned out of can whereas Rosarita is nice and greased and plops right out in one big block.  Most people might not think that’s a good thing lol…
• Price: $1.09

Whole Foods’ Organic Refried Pinto Beans

• Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup serving: 110 calories, 0 g fat, 470 mg sodium, 8 g fiber, 7 g protein
• Ingredients: prepared organic pinto beans, water, sea salt, organic onion powder, organic chili pepper, organic spice, organic garlic powder
• Taste: Bleh.  Least flavorful of bunch.
• $1.39

Best Choice

• Healthwise: Either Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods brand.  TJ’s has least sodium, but 0.5 g fat, whereas Whole Foods’ has 60 mg more sodium but no fat and it’s made with all organic ingredients (only the beans in TJ’s brand are organic).  Rosarita, unfortunately, packs the most sodium and fat.
• Tastewise: Rosarita.  BUT, keep in mind that with refried beans you’re kind of working with a blank slate, so add enough chopped onion, tomato, etc., and you can make the dull, bland taste of the Whole Foods version taste even better than the Rosarita brand.

How to eat beans? With tortillas, of course!

In the News

• The New York Times‘, “In T.V. Series, Some Reality on Weight” (9/22/09) here ; See Kate Harding’s response in Jezebel here
• Jezebel’s, “France Propose ‘Health Warning’ Label on Photoshopped Images” (9/22/09) here — What do you guys think about photoshopping? I have mixed feelings.  I want to say we should ban it from wide-spread media, it creates unrealistic portrayals yadda yadda yadda, nothing original there.  BUT, I totally have a double standard!  If my future wedding photographer captures a single stretch mark on film you can damn well guarantee I’m sending the photo to my older bro (a computer pro) to photoshop it right out.  Also, there are so many delineations to be made as some times photoshop is used for artistic purposes.  Just sayin.  What do you guys think? Do any of you have a photoshop double standard?
• Science Daily’s, “Watching Your Weight? Beware Of Skinny Friends With Big Appetites” (9/22/09) here — Yea, skinny people,we’re ostracizing you now! *points and laughs maniacally* (p.s. I was kidding; please don’t send hate mail. thanks.)

Give-Away Round Up

• Win an item from WaterPik here
• Win some Zensah apparel here
• Win some Zevia here
• Win some Amazing Grass here
• Win some of Molly’s favorite things (inc. mini Larabars and Justin’s p.b. ) here

What are your favorite brands/varieties beans? Do you buy canned, or soak your own?

<3, The Cranky One

Happy Birthday Lauren!!!!

Tags: refriend beans, Rosarita, tortillas, trader joes, vegetarian beans, Whole Foods