In a follow-up to yesterday’s Beanitos Review, we’ve got a Loving the BITE dip to go right along with those tasty chip.  And not just any dip, but one that will help us cycle stronger and stay healthy.  This week, tomato growers will rejoice with a salsa recipe that can be canned and enjoyed throughout the year.

Cyclists can rejoice as well.  Our recipe is packed with ingredients that promote health – including heart health, digestion health, a reduction in cancer risk, high amounts of antioxidants, reduction in colds and sinus infections, and an increase in metabolism.

Loving the BITE: Fresh Salsa

(adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/wonderful-salsa-9272)

Ingredients:

• 8 cups organic tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups green peppers, chopped
• ½ – 1 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped (depending on heat desired)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1/8 cup canning salt
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 (15 ounce) can organic tomato sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) can organic tomato paste
• ¼ cup cilantro

Instructions: 

Mix all ingredients together except tomato paste and cilantro.  Bring to a slow boil for ~8 minutes or until desired consistency.  Add tomato paste and cilantro and continue to boil for ~2 additional minutes.

Seal in jars and process in hot water bath for 10 minute.

This recipe yields a medium salsa – change the heat by adding or reducing the amount of jalapeno or removing jalapeno seeds.  It is also a chunky salsa – for a smoother version chop vegetables into smaller pieces or process in a food processor before cooking.

Yields 3-6 quarts or pints.

Comments:

As you can see, our fresh salsa features many healthy ingredients.  In fact, we’ve discussed the benefits of a few of them in-depth.  As any faithful Loving the Bike (Bite) reader knows:

Tomatoes = lycopene, an antioxidant powerhouse. (Full story in found right here)

Chili and jalapeno peppers = capsaicins, hot components that provide anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic, anti-diabetic, and increased metabolism benefits. (Full story here)

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar = reduction in waist circumference, sinus infections, cholesterol, and diabetes risk. (More information right here)

Cumin = antioxidants, digestion and enzyme aides, and a reduced cancer risk. (More about Cumin here)

But, we’re not gonna stop there.  Today, we add cilantro.

Simply put, cilantro leaves or coriander seeds (they are from the same plant) provide disease-fighting phytochemicals, antibacterial compounds strong enough to fight salmonella, cholesterol-lowering agents, blood sugar stabilizers, and free radical fighters to keep our cells young and healthy.  Not bad for a simply herb, huh?

Don’t be a dip.  Instead, eat a healthy one that promotes health and energy rather than one that drags you and your ride down.  This week, try our salsa recipe for a sure-fire health, metabolism, and wellness boost!

Fuel Your Ride.  Nourish Your Body. 

I came across Beanitos due to the fact that my friend @BeanitosApril works over there.  She gave my family some samples and we felt they were one super awesome healthy (ish) snack.  So to find out exactly how good and healthy they actually were, I had April send some to our Loving the Bike Nutritionist, Kelli, so that this review could be done by an expert.  Here is Kelli’s Review of Beanitos.

We’ve got a WINNER.  Congratulations to Craig Clark who gets a mixed case of Beanitos snack-sized bags (all 4 flavors, you get 24 bags).  Enjoy them, Craig.

Review of Beanitos   

by Kelli Jennings

Bean Brand Foods, Beanitos The Bean Chips™ were created by serious snackers, for serious snackers (aka For Human Beans™) who demand more than empty calories from their snacks. And, since corn is in over 4,000 products at the typical supermarket and has been linked to a host of health issues including obesity, all of our products are Always Corn Free™! – From the Beanitos About Us Page

I am sold.  I am usually not able to give a “snack food,” or any food that is not a whole food in the form it’s found in nature (such as a whole vegetable), a huge smile and 2 thumbs up…but in this case I am.  In every way I could think of, these are a great food choice.  The ingredients are great (and minimal), the nutrition value is great, the taste is great.  Here’s a breakdown:

Ingredients: Whole food ingredients used, including beans, brown rice, flaxseeds, etc.  Minimal amounts of ingredients used, even in flavored varieties. No colorings or “chemical flavors.” AWESOME.

Potential improvement: Why not use flaxseeds in all varieties?

Nutrition Value: Anytime you get 5 grams of fiber, from foods such as beans, in one small serving of a “snack food,” you’ve generally got a winner.  What’s more, you also get protein!  And ALA omega-3s (in the flax variety – again, why not in all varieties?)!  I search for snacks that I can give my kids, on the go, that contain both healthy carbs and protein, and they are few and far between.  For someone trying to lose weight, you’d still want to watch portions as these do contain calories and carbohydrates, and taste good enough that it’s hard to stop eating them.  However, this is true of most any food.  These are also super low glycemic index, which is beneficial to everyone.

Taste: Yum.  These are good.  My 2-year-old, 4-year-old, and husband (all picky eaters) love them.  In fact, these three males are usually my guinea pigs for all kinds of “Nutritionist-food attempts,” so even the 2-year-old is suspicious when I hand over a new snack.  And they all wanted more!

Only drawback: – and this is a half-hearted one at that – I’m not sure I buy the “beans without gas.” I was definitely a little gassy after every occasion of eating these, even just one serving.  And, I’m a 50% Latina who grew up eating beans, and eats 40+ grams of fiber per day, so my system generally digests fiber and beans without an issue.  HOWEVER, I do consider some gas to be simply part of a healthy diet.  It shows that there’s healthy bacteria in your gut, and your gut cells are being fed as they ferment the fiber and produce gas – this is a good thing, no matter what’s politically correct.  And, there is the potential that extra gas is caused by this just being a new food to me OR another food in my diet caused it.

Either way, it’s not a real drawback to me considering the healthfulness of the food.

Since this is a sports nutrition site, I will say that these are not a good snack for pre-training fuel.  The fiber stay in your gut too long and has the potential of causing gas, which is not good leading up to or during any training.  So, save these for Daily Nutrition or Post-Training.

Overall: 2 Thumbs Up and A Big Smile!

Beanitos Giveaway

We’re giving away 1 mixed case of Beanitos snack-sized bags (all 4 flavors, you get 24 bags).  Anyone who leaves a comment is in to win, so get those fingers moving and type up a little comment before Friday at Noon EST.  Winner announced Friday afternoon. (CONTEST NOW CLOSED)