Baked beans

The unassuming baked bean is an unrecognised food super hero. It is low in fat, less 7% (1.9g saturated fat) and full of protein and fiber. It has a low GI index, which means your body takes longer to break it down into usable energy and so keeps you full longer.

They can help lower the bad LDL cholesterol, the tomatoes used in the sauce contain lycopene, an antioxidant shown to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer. They also contain a whole host of essential vitamins and minerals, that contribute to a healthy diet. They are a good source of iron, and when combined with the vitamin C from the tomatoes, the iron is more easily absorbed by the body. Baked beans do however contain a relatively high level of sodium at 422mg per 100g, so it you are eating them with a meal, you really don't need to add salt to either the cooking or your plate.

So apart from throwing them on a slice of toast, what else can we do with them? Well as a side dish to many different meals is the obvious answer but below are a couple of ideas for baked bean recipes.

For those of you who don't like the powdery kidney bean in chilli, throw in a tin of beans instead.

Baked bean & pasta soup, quick and simple, fry off some onions and a bit of garlic, add the beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, oregano and a splash of water and simmer till cooked. Stir in the cooked pasta and server with a grating of cheese and a twist of black pepper.

Curried beans, dry fry curry powder, chopped onion then stir in the beans and heat through, goes well with BBQ

Chilli bean dip, dry fry chilli, minced garlic, chopped onion and cumin, stir in the baked beans and cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Blitz in a food processor and serve as a dip.

Stir into the mince when making cottage pie, bulks up the meal and keeps you feeling fuller longer.

Baked bean burrito, Dry fry some onion, garlic, chilli and cumin then add the beans and cook through. Serve in a soft flour wrap, with a little low fat cream cheese, shredded lettuce, spring onion, tomato salsa.

I've even heard that one of my friends blitzes up a tin of sausage and beans to form a thick paste, and uses it as a sandwich paste.