DRY BEANS: nutrition for the world
by KELLI GREEN and JAMES STEADMAN
Dry edible beans are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, according to James Steadman, head of the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. High in fiber and protein with a low glycemic index, dry beans are nutritionally competent, contain antioxidants and can be produced throughout much of the world.
Nearly 165,000 acres of dry edible beans were produced in Nebraska in 2014, mostly in the western part of the state. Nebraska ranks first nationally in production of great northern beans; second in production of pinto beans; and third for production of all classes of dry edible beans, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s 2015 production statistics.
