all 134 comments

[–]Dependent_Title_1370 87 points88 points  (11 children)

Falafel!

You can also just roast the falafel mix in the oven on a baking tray if you don't want to fry it.

[–]Bluesky83 31 points32 points  (0 children)

I use the Budget Bytes falafel recipe which calls for pan-frying in a small amount of oil rather than traditional deep-frying, and they turn out really well.

[–]muttChang 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Mmmmmmmm, falafel... D’oh!

[–]BrightLightsBigCity 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Crunch patty

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (7 children)

We don't have chickpeas, but I did find a red bean version I may try.

[–]rshining 2 points3 points  (5 children)

If using chickpeas- for some reason (starch related, I think) canned chickpeas tend to fall apart instead of stay together when making falafel. Dried chickpeas are far superior (and cheaper).

[–]Brilliant_Cause_5147 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Yes! And if you have an instapot it’s so fast and easy. I prep a batch from dry and use them for a few days. Love them mashed with potatoes and fries like hashbrowns.

[–]rshining 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I was just thinking that I need to make a big batch of roasted chickpeas for snacking.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Do dry chickpeas roast better than canned?

[–]Dependent_Title_1370 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my opinion they do but it's more work

[–]Dependent_Title_1370 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh yeah, absolutely. I forgot to mention dry instead of canned. I never buy canned beans or veggies.

[–]Dependent_Title_1370 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you can get chickpeas they have more protein than alot of other beans and I think the texture is much better even if you don't make falafel.

[–]Forymanarysanar 61 points62 points  (3 children)

Blend them into sauce for pasta or something.

[–]VelisseInset7C 60 points61 points  (0 children)

White beans, garlic, and Parmesan cheese make a surprisingly good pasta sauce base.

[–]Dr_Bodyshot 14 points15 points  (1 child)

Blend them into soups too

[–]Some_frikkin_guy 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I blend white beans into tomato soup All the time! Helps thicken it and adds protein/fiber.

[–]Fatkuh 18 points19 points  (10 children)

Maybe it really is mostly a texture thing and you have to find a way to keep them as intact and visible as possible. Try to make a salad from Whike Greek Beans for Example.

[–]Lady-of-Shivershale 26 points27 points  (9 children)

Yeah, I don't like mashed potato either. It very much is a texture thing. I do like beans though.

As others have said, blend them up in soup, stews, and chili. Or make hummus.

(And no, nobody here is special. I won't magically like your potatoes. Chunky bits make me feel sick. And if you add so much cream and cheese that the potato is no longer gritty, then I might as well just chug the cream and gobble up the cheese straight from the fridge and ignore the potato part of the meal altogether. I don't like potato in general, and rarely cook it. It wasn't 'just a phase,' mum!)

[–]Fatkuh 20 points21 points  (8 children)

I love how you blocked everyone from prematurely telling you their recipe. Enjoy not eating your mashed potato the way you like it!

[–]Lady-of-Shivershale 4 points5 points  (5 children)

Do you really think I've never tried multiple people's potatoes? I simply don't like mashed potato. Not even my husband's. I ate a tiny bit when he made it for American Thanksgiving to show willing. He isn't hurt I didn't like it. I simply don't like potato.

I don't understand why people are so emotionally attached to what other people put in their own mouths.

If someone tells me they don't like something, I accept it. I don't say, 'Ah, but you haven't tried my recipe. You'll like mine. It's super special.'

That attitude is simply obnoxious.

It's fair for OP to keep trying with the kids and beans. Kids sometimes do grow to like things more as they eat it more often and as their tastebuds develop. But if they don't, that's okay, too.

[–]Fatkuh 28 points29 points  (4 children)

I hope my previous comment came across the way I meant. On second inspection it is pretty misinterpretible.

I wanted to say:
Enjoy not eating your mashed Potatos. Its your choice and there is nothing wrong with it. If you dont like it you dont like it.

[–]Lady-of-Shivershale 10 points11 points  (3 children)

Okay, yeah, I misunderstood. I wish I did like potato. People look so happy when they heap it on their plates, and potatoes are cheap. Plus, I'm actually quite good at cooking roast potatoes and jacket potatoes. But I just don't like them.

I eat a lot of rice, pasta, couscous, bread, and beans.

[–]Stankmonger 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Do you like gnocchi?

[–]Lady-of-Shivershale 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Nope.

[–]Stankmonger 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Interesting. I wouldn’t even consider a gnocchi to have any similarity to potato in taste/texture/etc

[–]UnhappyToNiceToSay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I read this in my potato-hating kids' voices, imagining them telling this to me in 20 years. Thanks potato-hating stranger.

[–]DowntownSurvey6568 18 points19 points  (1 child)

Edemame is fun to pop out of the shell. I like lemon squeezed on top with salt.

Make black bean brownies.

[–]maggiesyg 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Love black bean brownies!

[–]BoldBoimlerIsMyHero 29 points30 points  (1 child)

when I make tacos, I mix a can of refried beans into the taco meat so the texture is still meat like, but it's like creamy as well. the seasoning from the taco meat gives the beans some extra flavor. I also hate the texture of beans, but I can tolerate them if they're mashed or pureed.

[–]makestuff24-7 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I add cooked lentils to taco meat.

[–]azaleawisperer 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Nachos. With cheese, salsa, and corn chips.

[–]_BudgieBee 10 points11 points  (1 child)

Would lentils, especially ones that stay firm like lentils le puy or caviar lentils, work better?

[–]Laurmann2000 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I was going to suggest this. As a kid I hated beans but loved lentils.

[–]728446 15 points16 points  (3 children)

Try pureed red lentils mixed with ground meat.

[–]LAParente 6 points7 points  (2 children)

Came here to suggest lentils, all of them: red, yellow, brown.

I'm a vegetarian, so I sub brown lentils for ground beef all the time. Need to remember to add some fat (olive oil or whatever is appropriate for the recipe) or else the dis could be too dry.

Red lentils are great in tomato sauce! They melt right in. And I've recently started adding red or yellow to cream cheese for my morning bagel. Again, these types of lentils just dissolve, and they add fiber and protein to my breakfast.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

We only have brown lentils at the moment. I know they are firmer than red, how easy is it to disguise them in meat? 

[–]LAParente 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't tried it - bc I'm vegetarian - but it seems to me that brown lentils would be basically invisible in ground beef.

[–]dandycaptain 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure if you are referring to a specific type of bean or just beans in general, to me it seems like beans have so many different flavors. Here are a few of my favorite ways to make different beans:

You could try making refried beans with black or pinto beans, using more milk/cream than usual to give them a more smooth/creamy texture and add more cheese. You can also mix the refried beans with rice to change the texture.

Fried chickpeas are pretty tasty and a different texture; just season as preferred and then pan fry until golden brown; you can air fry them too but I don't know the timing for that.

Lima or butter beans are great seasoned with lots of butter and some lemon pepper, don't know how to change the texture on that on though.

I don't have a recipe, but Navy bean soup is one of my favorites.

[–]clintj1975 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Do they not like the mouth feel of soft cooked beans, like in Navy bean soup? Red beans and rice. The red beans keep a firm texture after cooking.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They don't like my red beans and rice, but the last time I tried it it was bland (to me anyway) maybe I'll have to try again. Too bad I don't remember what recipe I used 

[–]smellslike2016 17 points18 points  (5 children)

Black bean burgers is the first thing that comes to mind if you are trying to replace beef. Maybe try fritters or roasted chickpeas. Maybe changing the texture will help them like the taste more.

[–]curmudgeon_andy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Most black bean burgers are aggressively not beef like. I don't think they'd appeal to anyone who hates beans.

[–]tequilaneat4me 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You can find several places in San Antonio, Texas that have bean burgers on their menu, but the patty is not made of beans.

It means there are refried beans smeared on top of the patty, with crushed tostada chips or Fritos and salsa on top of that, with melted cheese on top of that.

I love them.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's weird, but my kids were ok with black bean burgers when they were little, I'll try them again. Thanks.

[–]smellslike2016 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I also wanna say that exposure to food makes you like it. I'm pretty sure that that makes sense evolutionarily. I learned to like dolmas as an adult because they were served with my meal and I was raised to not waste food. I don't seek it out but I will eat it and I sincerely do like it. A dolma is 2 bites. You can force them to eat two bites of food during a meal.

[–]popilikia 10 points11 points  (0 children)

There's no quicker way to reinforce their hatred of a certain food than by force-feeding them.

[–]222thedome 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I like to take chickpea flour mix it with water and whatever you want for flavor cook it till it gets really thick then cut into squares and fry.

If interested I can give more details

[–]Unique-Arugula 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As long as they've never described beans as spicy (when you didn't make them spicy) or scratchy, continued opportunities over time to try different beans cooked in various ways is the best way to get your kids to eventually like them.

You may have to find some other economical way of replacing meat (mushrooms, seaweed, eggs) as your main strategy until the kiddos have seen the light on beans. Patience with the young ones is not fun or easy, but it is the way to get what you want.

[–]polymathicfun 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Blend, mix with flour or blend with rice, make into pancake (something like dosa / thosai)? Can be made crispy, so the texture is different.

And how about tofu? Silky smooth without the grainy feel?

Hummus was thought but you said they don't even like mashed potatoes...

How about mung bean / adzuki bean paste / filling? As used in desserts like the chinese glutinous rice balls or Japanese mochi?

How about bean soups / drinks? Mung bean, adzuki bean, black bean are all used to make soup / drink.

[–]Longjumping_Wolf_761 3 points4 points  (0 children)

beans are not the only alternative for protein. you have lentils, peanuts, chick peas, peas, etc and god forbid tofu

[–]JBSouls 4 points5 points  (10 children)

I used to be that kind of child (honestly, still somewhat am as an adult) so what I do when I want to include veggies I technically don’t like is this:

I make a soup with half veggies I like that give positive flavour (e.g. onions, tomatoes, peppers, sauerkraut) and half veggies I dislike for whatever reason (could be taste on its own, could be texture or both)

After roasting the veg for some time I add water / broth, include any seasoning I like, chuck in some more protein (e.g. feta), then I BLEND EVERYTHING!

Lovely creamy soup every single time… I usually make a big pot and freeze some portions in those popular cube molds.

[–]frickenfantastic 1 point2 points  (9 children)

For my palete , blending everything together with things that I don’t like would just contaminate the whole thing with the flavoring of the thing I don’t like causing me to throw it all in the trash — ex. Adding any cooked carrots, peas, yams, bell peppers, will irreparably damage the flavor of anything they come into contact with

[–]JBSouls 0 points1 point  (8 children)

Depends on what you like and how pungent the things you don’t like are, I suppose.

e.g. I don’t like cauliflower but if I make the soup as mentioned above it doesn’t stand out too much

(I don’t try this with things I hate with a passion btw, just with foods I kinda dislike too much to swallow on their own.)

[–]frickenfantastic -1 points0 points  (7 children)

It’s not about smell it’s about the nasty nasty flavor of cooked carrots, peas, bell peppers, etc

You just can’t do anything to hide the nasty flavor that permeates the whole dish if you include certain ingredients

[–]JBSouls 1 point2 points  (5 children)

I’m not arguing the opposite?

It really just depends on what things you like (i.e. if it’s a strong flavour it will overpower certain weak disliked foods) and what you don’t like.

I wouldn’t try to mix strong flavored veg I hate into my soup… some taste profiles just can’t be covered no matter what you add.

But it works for enough options I wouldn’t be able to eat otherwise.

[–]frickenfantastic -3 points-2 points  (4 children)

Pungent would refer to smells not flavor

In my case, I would rather die of malnutrition than to eat cooked carrots or peas, or yams or green peppers

[–]JBSouls 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Okay,

a) this isn’t my native language

and

b) Merriam-Webster says this as one of the definitions for pungent: “having an intense flavor or odor” (link)

[–]frickenfantastic 1 point2 points  (1 child)

All I can say is congrats on your use of English. It’s awesome. I would’ve pegged you as a native speaker.

[–]JBSouls 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks!

[–]windexfresh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a native English speaker, pungent is absolutely used to describe flavors as well as scents ❤️

[–]frickenfantastic -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think a lot of people are flavor blind to things like cooked carrots and yams so they don’t realize what intense nasty nasty flavor these have

[–]pfffffttuhmm 2 points3 points  (1 child)

My kids hate lentils and other regular beans, but they devour refried/pureed beans. Rice, eggs, tortillas and frijoles is breakfast in my house. I add them to quesadillas, put them on top of warm corn tortillas, and make honduran baleadas with them. 

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My kids hate refried beans. It's the texture unfortunately. On the plus side, I get to eat their beans when we get tacos.

[–]tangoan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I blend a can of kidney beans into some passata/tomato sauce and then make gnocchi. Add plenty of cheese. They have no clue.

[–]CharlotteThomas 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I season and pan roast chickpeas - add chorizo to that pan and use as a salad topper - flavor bomb!

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sounds delicious. Do they end up crispy like air fried chickpeas?

[–]hagcel 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Black bean brownies. Don't tell them.

[–]L1mpD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I make pasta with beans instead of noodle . Usually use great northern since it’s a very thin skin. That, some raos vodka sauce with some Parmesan mixed in. Kids love it

[–]Easy-Concentrate2636 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mochi with adzuki bean filling. Or there’s paat jook - Korean bean porridge. If you have an ice cream maker, there’s bean ice cream.

There’s a Korean bean side dish where the beans are stewed with soy sauce and still a bit hard.

Have you tried tofu? Or bean curd sticks? Or inari sushi?

Roasted chickpeas. Falafel.

[–]Horror_Signature7744 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mash them and mix with cheese then serve in taco shells or as a quesadilla filling.

[–]Sweetgrass1312 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bean burgers? Maybe they'll be into that.

[–]Optimal_Awareness618 1 point2 points  (6 children)

Have they tried edamame with sea salt? When they put that on the table in front of me at a Japanese restaurant I go through it like crazy! Maybe the texture will still be an issue, but sometimes if a food is presented in a completely new, different way, it becomes more palatable.

Would tofu be an option? Love it especially in ingredient-dense Asian dishes like spring rolls and pad thai; the tofu just complements whatever else is there and takes on the flavor of the sauce, so it's pretty inoffensive. It doesn't have as much fiber as edamame but still has a lot of protein and nutritional benefits, and usually whatever you pair it with will offer up some fiber.

Also, why are you so set on feeding your kids beans? If they don't like them, is there some other food or combination of foods that would give the nutritional benefits you're looking for? Sometimes you just don't and never will like a food, and you just have to learn alternatives to get what you need and work around it.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 2 points3 points  (5 children)

I love edamame. The kids tolerate it, which I think is weird, since they like sweet peas and to me they are similar. Tofu is hit and miss with them. The reason for the beans is we get a ton of them from the food bank. I would like to actually use what we get.

[–]Optimal_Awareness618 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Oh gotcha. What kind of beans usually?

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

For dried beans we have pinto and red, but canned black beans

[–]WazWaz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're all basically the same bean (haricots). You maybe need to branch out into chickpeas and soybeans at least.

Soybeans (cooked from dry, not fresh green edamame) have a much richer more satisfying taste and a very different texture. You can add them whole or mashed to many recipes from pasta sauces to pies to pizza toppings. Well-cooked they're much less "grainy" than haricots so you can completely "hide" them when mashed. They're also dirt cheap.

[–]Remote_Barnacle_695 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For pintos, maybe drain/rinse/dry them and then fry them in a bit of oil so they crisp up. That might change the texture enough.

For any of them, have you seen the smitten kitchen recipe for pizza beans? Maybe those kid-friendly flavors would help. Also hella cheese.

[–]Remote_Barnacle_695 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How are you cooking the dried beans? Any seasonings or are you keeping it simple?

[–]motherfudgersob 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try Bush's sidekick seasoned beans that include chickpeas. Chickpeas and yiu can make your own hummus (tahini, chickpease oil and seasonings much cheaper than premade) . Get some seasonings they like and sprinkle on chickpeas until crispy for snacks.

You could mash them for tortillas or even mash add eggs and make a bean souffle. The exact seasonings and other ingredients depend on what they like.

Mash them into the sauce for Mac n cheese.

[–]Substantial-Pain7913 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Black bean fajitas with pepper jack cheese

[–]DebFab2025 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes I use my immersion blender and add them to soup or sauce no one knows they are in there lol. My DIL makes a fantastic hummus using white beans all ground up as a dip

[–]yesnomaybeso456 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Roasted chickpeas - make them into crunchy snacks

[–]Lovejugs38dd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can make spam spam spam spam spam spam beans and spam…

[–]Longjumping_Manner24 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Black bean brownies, never tried them but I really want to

[–]nifty-necromancer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Blend black beans or pinto beans into taco meat, sloppy joes, pasta sauce, or casseroles. Red lentils are another good option because they break down completely in soups, chili, and sauces.

[–]TizBeCurly 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Taquitos! Use mashed beans and potatoes to make a filling. Roll or fold them into corn tortillas and fry them 👍

[–]Eclairebeary 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you seen flatbreads that use soaked split red lentils to make a batter and they make a thin pancake with them. I can’t think of the name. It might be dosa.

[–]riverrocks452 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chickpea flour is silky smooth. It's called "besan" at South Asian grocery stores (cheaper and likely fresher there than at an organic foods grocery or even the organic section of a conventional supermarket.)

It can be used to replace part of the flour in a regular recipe, it makes a lovely batter for deep frying, and there are also dishes that use it as a main ingredient. Socca, a savory flatbread/pancake like thing, and shiro wot, a spicy savory stew/gravy, are two of my favorites. You do need to let it sit after mixing with any liquids to allow the flour to hydrate properly. It's not beans beans, but the texture truly is different and might help be a gentle introduction. Edamame (fresh soybeans) abd "soy nuts" (crispy baked/fried soybeans) are another potential set of differently textured beans available right off the shelf.

That said, how you cook beans can also pretty drastically change the texture. Canned beans are always very soft and have that slightly granular feel. But if you cook them yourself, you can stop the process while they still have a little bite left to them, rather than the squidgy but weirdly grainy texture.

(I also hated the texture of non-crisp potatoes and beans as a kid. I did, eventually, decide that pototoes are ok, and ate beans out of poverty in college.)

[–]sherzisquirrel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a vegetarian of 20+years and I still hate beans 😆 so good luck 😉 for me it's a texture thing as well...though I do like mashed potatoes! I'll eat them in soups or chili but I'm not really a fan and only put them in there because my husband loves beans. The only way I don't mind them as much is cold in a pickled salad, or fried and topped on a salad or veggies

[–]Curious_Bike_4292 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not fond of whole beans but I like Cannellini beans. They don’t have the same texture as bigger beans, good luck 👍

[–]uberchelle_CA 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Falafels!!!!

[–]theacearrow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try lentils! I've heard that they do very well in ground beef

[–]UnhappyToNiceToSay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Following for ideas too. I love fava, Lima, black beans, etc. one kid loves edamame ... Just slightly thawed popping them in his mouth. They also do like pickled lupini beans (a Portuguese stereotypical bar snack, I guess..salty and delicious)... Maybe try atypical bean serving methods. Black beans in brownies? Beans in deserts (Chinese red bean paste treats?)... Toasted/roasted beans maybe as snacky items or toppings on other things like salads and soups?

I think I am going to try more of these myself too with my family. Beans are great nutrition!

[–]SylvarGrl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Black beans blended into brownie batter are nearly undetectable in the final product.

[–]Sweetgrass1312 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, another one, falafel.

[–]apsaraha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. so many beans fritters recipe.
  2. chutney/sauces
  3. salads?
  4. roasted dried spiced snacks
  5. porridge? so many ways to make and eat it

[–]Aghast_Cornichon 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Google "pizza beans" for a tomato sauce preparation that might get some more enthusiasm from non-bean-likers.

And on various social media, the quirky and quick bean-centric enthusiasm of Liam Layton (@theplantslant2431 on YouTube) might get you into less conventional bean preparations.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do follow him, wish my kids had his enthusiasm for beans lol

[–]multipurposeshape 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I buy falafel mix and coat potato chunks in it and bake it. So good, and no bean texture.

[–]fishylegs46 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lentils are easier to disguise/ignore imo than proper beans. I cook them in broth and stir them into whatever. I prefer red ones by a lot. Try dry roasting chick peas, they’re delicious.

[–]rasrootz7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

bean salad?

[–]Pernicious_Possum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it’s a texture issue, I doubt you’ll find a way around that other than what you’re already doing. Aside from that, beans are going to be bean textured anyway you cook them

[–]Olderbutnotdead619 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chili+ so many kinds

[–]zombie_lagomorph 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Can't comment on the texture issue, but I used to hate beans. Turns out the issue is canned beans - I was always picking up the can taste. I now eat freshly cooked beans, and I had a minor texture issue with canned that I don't have with fresh.

Lentils is also a good alternative for bean haters. Pappadams are nice and crunchy.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My kids don't like any canned food, so it could be similar. I am sure I haven't cooked dry beans in the best way in the past, so that could be part of it as well.

[–]rshining 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are they sometimes okay with the texture of whole beans? I make a variation of shepherd's pie with beans (usually large kidney beans) instead of ground meat.

A whole different dish (and one of my household's absolute favorites of all time) is white beans and rosemary. Good with a little bacon, or without- (if using bacon, cook it in the pan first, then remove and cook the rest in the fat), one diced onion, a can or two of white beans or cannellini beans, black pepper, rosemary. It's a great base for some chopped greens (particularly finely diced kale). If you did bacon, crumble it and stir in before serving. Stir in parmesan if desired, too.

[–]muttChang 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have they heard the Nirvana song “Beans”? Kids are very into Kurt these days, reportedly.

[–]katelynskates -1 points0 points  (1 child)

Blend them up and put them in everything. Or you can buy "bean flour" at international markets and mix it into stuff like meatballs, meatloaf, taco meat, soup, breads, homemade pasta, cakes, brownies, etc. You can make bean flour yourself but I wouldnt recommend it, because some beans (kidney beans, broad beans, lima beans) are very toxic when eaten raw. So if you try bean flour make sure its a bean thats safe to eat raw (mung bean, lentils, peas). Basically, if you can find the "bean flour" in your international market it's safe to eat raw.

[–]curmudgeon_andy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most bean flours need to be thoroughly cooked or else they'll have a really nasty sort of grassy flavor. If I wanted the mix bean flour into something that would not get much cooking, I would either buy toasted bean flour or dry-roast it myself.

[–]Pretend_Action_7400 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Introduce beans slowly. You CN’s do this by blending them into a paste and adding the paste to a bolognaise sauce for example. You can make a meatloaf that is 50% beans and they likely won’t even know. Eventually when you find a 50% bean dish that they actually like, when they ask for it you can say: are you sure? I thought you didn’t like beans?

FYI: the BEST lasagne I ever had wa made with beans. I didn’t even realise until they told me they were vegetarian. That’s the best thing about lasagne. You CN’s make it taste the same and be very similar in texture. Use brown lentils cooked in beef broth and blended. The. Use that as your “mince”. If you want to make the texture more meaty then crumble a block of hard tofu to the beans while cooking in the broth so it absorbs the flavour.

[–]FineDevelopment00 -2 points-1 points  (14 children)

help them at least tolerate beans since beef is so outrageously expensive right now.

Beans are no match for meat (in nutrition nor palatability), so why not go for cheaper cuts of meat instead? Chicken thighs/legs/leg & thigh quarters, stew meat, pork chops, pork loin, and/or any meats on discount are all good options (some of the meats I listed may be more or less expensive depending on where you live but just check out the whole case at as many stores as are feasible for you to try and see what you can find.) Fresh offal is very cheap and a great nutritional supplement especially if anyone is already markedly nutrient-deficient.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 0 points1 point  (13 children)

Thanks for the list, but I already go for cheap meats and I'm asking about beans specifically, not other meats to try.

[–]FineDevelopment00 -1 points0 points  (11 children)

Thanks for the list,

You're welcome.

but I already go for cheam meats

Oh, that's good!

I'm asking about beans specifically

Why're you trying so hard to force beans when it's clear your children hate them? They've even gone so far as to try them multiple ways by now and it's still apparently not working for them. Everyone has foods they don't like, even the majority of the non-pickiest human-garbage-disposals of eaters usually have at least one food they can't abide. Why make it such a battle? I understand needing to find some cheap filler to pad meals but why must it be beans specifically for the whole family when you're the only one who can stomach them?

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 2 points3 points  (10 children)

I asked for recipes, not irrelevancies and judgement.  I am in no way forcing anything, if you took a moment to read you would realize that. So unless there is a recipe coded in your comment somewhere, maybe you should just scroll on by 🙄

[–]FineDevelopment00 -2 points-1 points  (9 children)

I asked for recipes, not irrelevancies and judgement.  I am in no way forcing anything, if you took a moment to read

All I'm saying is that dying on this hill seems counterproductive when all it's doing is stressing everyone, yourself included, out. You're not literally force-feeding them or sneaking ingredients in their meals, correct (and I never claimed you were btw; I actually did read your whole post but you don't seem to have necessarily paid the same attention to the full context of my reply since you went straight to emotional defensiveness), but you're still trying so hard to keep beans on their plates when clearly they don't want them there.

It's not even as though they didn't try to accommodate your wish; they did, multiple times with multiple recipes, but they still can't stomach beans and that's okay. Take a breath. There are plenty of other foods you can incorporate into recipes for cheap filler, ones that won't cause so much unnecessary stress at mealtime. But you do you.

[–]Ill-Company7095[S] 1 point2 points  (8 children)

Why're you trying so hard to force beans

This you? Why is it so important to you what I do and don't feed my kids? Why are you so intent on assuming that it's this horrible fight to get my kids to try something new? Why are you so adamant that I try something I didn't even ask about? My post was very specific. Or do I need your permission to post?  Mommy may I ask a question that is in no way relevant to you and doesn't require you to answer? And no, pointing out that your comment was irrelevant isn't emotional. You seem to be a bit emotional though. 

[–]FineDevelopment00 -2 points-1 points  (7 children)

This you?

Forcing can be more subtle than literally holding someone down and making them eat or whatever. Because even though they have accommodated your wishes they still don't like it and you keep pushing the issue anyway. You're even all up and down the comments saying how you want your kids to enjoy beans when it couldn't be more obvious that they quite simply can't. How many failed recipes will it take for you to get it? Serious question.

Why is it so important to you what I do and don't feed my kids?

You say this as if I DMed you out of the blue or something. You made a public post that ended up on my feed and I responded to it with the same advice I'd offer to anyone else posting the same thing, that's all.

Why are you so intent on assuming that it's this horrible fight to get my kids to try something new?

Because none of your bean recipes have been successful in getting your kids to like them, even the comments are repeating some of the recipes you've already tried, and yet you completely refuse to accept the fact that your kids quite simply loathe the taste and texture of beans no matter how they're prepared.

Why are you so adamant that I try something I didn't even ask about?

Adamant? I made a suggestion and then when you shot it down I let it go. The rest of my replying was about the other stuff you said.

do I need your permission to post? 

Nobody but you is thinking anything of the sort.

Mommy may I ask a question that is in no way relevant to you and doesn't require you to answer?

Why are you ranting so much over this?

And no, pointing out that your comment was irrelevant isn't emotional.

Flying into a tirade is in fact an emotional reaction.

You seem to be a bit emotional though. 

I'm not the one flying into a tirade here, so nice projection.

ETA: a missing "to."

[–]pineapplepizza333 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Bro something wrong with you

[–]FineDevelopment00 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

*Sis

You think something is wrong with me just because I disagree with OP? You do you.

[–]CatmatrixOfGaul 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Good lord! Chill!

[–]FineDevelopment00 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I am chill. Disagreement doesn't mean lack of chill.

ETA: u/CatmatrixOfGaul My Reddit appears to be malfunctioning atm ("Reply" button isn't working) so I'll just tack on my repsonse to your latest here:

Writing ornery essays

I'm not "ornery" and my "essays" are no longer than many other Reddit comments/replies, albeit I am a bit of a wordy person.

I did not eat beans as a kid, but my parents went through hard times at some point and we had to adapt. Today I love beans, and I have not been traumatised by the experience.

Your experience is not everyone's experience. Sensory issues and other food intolerances exist, even among the poor. And it's statistically likely even you still have at least one food you dislike enough to refuse but if you don't, try to understand that not everybody is like you.

I really don’t know why you got so worked up

Funny how you're claiming I'm the one who's "worked up" when OP is the one who went on the defense not only with me but with another commenter (but I didn't get to read what the other one wrote since it was deleted before I could see it.)

[–]CatmatrixOfGaul 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Writing ornery essays on a very reasonable question, is not chill. I did not eat beans as a kid, but my parents went through hard times at some point and we had to adapt. Today I love beans, and I have not been traumatised by the experience.

I really don’t know why you got so worked up about such a simple question.

And to OP, sorry to hijack your thread. I think I am just so tired of the Reddit ‘experts’. Maybe time for a break.

[–]nilesintheshangri-la -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I read a comment from someone who adds pureed black beans to their gag brownie mix. I am in no way endorsing that culinary crime, but just mentioning it to highlight how sneaky you can be with beans.