5 Mung Bean Benefits

5 Mung Bean Benefits

When scanning grocery store isles, you've likely noticed that the legume section is packed with various unique-looking beans. While popular beans like black beans and pinto beans are used by at-home cooks often, other not-so-common beans require a bit of instruction before making it to your dinner plate. So if you're interested in branching out and trying something new, we're here to help. One of the most delicious and nutritious beans on shelves is mung beans. A popular part of Asian cuisine, mung beans are an excellent source of plant-based nutrition and have several uses. Continue reading to learn more about mung beans and explore the many benefits that they have to offer.

What Are Mung Beans?

Mung beans are tiny green beans that are a part of the legume family. Native to India, mung beans have been cultivated for thousands of years. Now, mung beans are used worldwide and are a staple ingredient in many dishes. Their mild, nutty and slightly sweet taste makes it easy to work this legume into sweet and savory dishes. Jam-packed with nutrients, mung beans also add many health benefits to your dish. Sold fresh, as sprouts and dried beans, this bean is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in salads, soups, stews and stir-fries.

Mung Bean Nutritional Information

Mung beans are a highly nutritious food. They're an excellent source of dietary fiber, offer quality plant-based protein, and contain healthy, complex carbohydrates, iron, amino acids and other vitamins and minerals. Read on to learn more about the nutrition of mung beans.

Complex Carbohydrates

Most of the energy found in mung beans is derived from complex carbohydrates, and when it comes to carbohydrates, the more complex the carb, the better. Complex carbs contain more nutrients than simple carbs. They are also an excellent source of fiber and take longer to digest. The slow digestion time of mung beans provides the body with a steady stream of sustainable energy, helping you remain full and energized between meals. mung beans salad

Fat

Mung beans are .5 grams away from being a fat-free food. While they are not a significant source of healthy fats, mung beans are low in all types of fat and ideal for individuals following specific diets. For a boost of healthy fats when enjoying mung beans, cook them in oils or alongside nuts and seeds.

Protein

Mung beans are a quality source of plant-based protein and are ideal for vegan and vegetarian individuals who cannot get their protein from animal-based sources. Just one serving of Bob's Red Mill Mung Beans provides 10 grams of protein per serving to help you remain full, happy and strong.

Vitamins and Minerals

Aside from protein and complex carbs, mung beans are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Calcium, iron and potassium are just a few nutrients you can expect to find in mung beans.

Mung Bean Benefits

Mung beans are jam-packed with health benefits. Here are a few of the most noteworthy.

Mung Beans Boost Digestive Health

Several of the nutrients found in mung beans positively affect digestive health. Mung beans contain soluble and insoluble fiber. Both of which help boost gut health in different ways. When consumed, soluble fiber creates a gel that can help improve digestion by improving blood glucose control and reducing blood cholesterol and sugar. On the other hand, insoluble fiber works by attracting water to your stool, promoting regularity and supporting insulin sensitivity. In addition to insoluble and soluble fiber, mung beans contain resistant starch. Like soluble fiber, resistant starch helps nurture your digestive system and promotes a healthy gut biome. It does this by providing a source of food for beneficial gut bacteria, boosting your gut's immune defenses. mung beans

Mung Beans Are Full of Healthy Nutrients

Mung beans contain loads of vitamins and minerals that your body uses in various ways. They're a source of calcium, iron and potassium, and are also one of the best plant-based sources of protein. Mung beans are also a source of many essential amino acids like valine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine and more.

Mung Beans Contain Antioxidants

Mung beans contain healthy antioxidants like flavonoids, phenolic acids and cinnamic acid. Eating foods rich in antioxidants can help neutralize potentially harmful molecules called free radicals. Free radicals have been linked to damage causing inflammation, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Though both dried and sprouted mung beans contain antioxidants, sprouted mung beans contain almost six times more.

Mung Beans May Help Reduce Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is an issue that many adults struggle with. Incorporating mung beans into your diet is an excellent start to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle and could potentially reduce your overall blood pressure. Mung beans are a source of potassium, fiber and magnesiumthree nutrients that are linked to lower blood pressure levels.

Mung Beans Are Versatile

Of all of the benefits of mung beans, our favorite is their versatility. Mung beans are tasty, simple to cook, and extremely easy to add to your diet. Mung beans can be enjoyed raw, cooked and sprouted. Use cooked mung beans as a substitute for other beans in dishes like soups and curries. Or, sprout mung beans at home and add them to stews and stir-fries. Mung beans taste great in sweet and savory recipes, and the many ways you can use them are endless.

Mung Bean Recipes

Are you excited to incorporate mung beans into your diet? Mung beans' versatility makes them a great addition to many of your favorite dishes. Read on to discover a few of our favorite mung bean recipes.

Mung Bean Sprouts

mung bean sprouts If you've recently made a few mung bean recipes and are looking for more ways to use the beans in your pantry, we suggest sprouting them. Sprouting mung beans at home is a simple task that opens up a world of possibilities when making healthy recipes. Mung bean sprouts add a crisp, refreshing crunch to whatever you combine them with and are full of all the same benefits as mung beans. Add mung bean sprouts to your next sandwich, work them into a salad recipe, or use them to make stir fry. After making mung bean sprouts once, you're sure to make them again.

Mung Bean Dip

While garbanzo beans are often used to create spreads like hummus, mung beans also make an excellent base for great-tasting bean dips. The subtle taste of mung beans makes it easy to combine this legume with sweet and savory ingredients. And when cooked, mung beans tend to take on the flavors of the food around them. So for a dip that's guaranteed to be delicious, make this Mung Bean Dip. It tastes similar to hummus and is excellent when enjoyed with veggies, pita chips and sandwiches.

Mung Bean Dosas

When cooking with mung beans, it's common for at-home cooks to find a good recipe and stick with it. And while your favorite mung bean recipe is undoubtedly a keeper, you shouldn't be limited to one dish. Instead, you can use mung beans to create and re-create all sorts of recipeslike these Mung Bean Dosas. A savory Indian-style flatbread, these dosas are great for dipping, stuffing, or rolling. Pair them with potato, chutney, or curry for a truly flavorful treat that's sure to be the talk of the dinner table.

Monggo Bean Stew

Monggo Guisado Monggo Guisado, or Mung Bean Stew, is a Filipino Mung Bean Stew that makes for the perfect simple weeknight meal. Nutritious, hearty and delicious, it's typically served with rice and fish and loaded with plant-based protein. That said, there are many sweet and savory ways to prepare this mung bean stew, and the way it is prepared varies from island to island. This Monggo Bean Stew recipe captures the original flavors of mongg guisado but is prepared with a Bob's Red Mill twist. Made with Mung Beans, vegetable broth, coconut milk and ginger, it's a bowl full of flavor that's so good you'll crave it weekly. After reading about the many mung bean benefits, choose from one of the recipes above to begin adding this legume to your weekly meals. From bean sprouts to Filipino-inspired stew, mung beans are an excellent way to boost the nutritional value and flavor of a recipe simultaneously. We can't wait to hear about the tasty dishes you come up with. From the Bob's Red Mill family to yours, have a fun and flavorful day! Learn more about mung beans and cooking them by checking out the articles: What Are Mung Beans? and How to Cook Mung Beans. Do you cook with mung beans regularly? We'd love to hear more about the many ways that you use this superfood. Share your favorite mung bean recipes with us in the comments below.
Bob's Red Mill
September 04 2022

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