So, it's come down to this?

While in a never ending search for meals that would fit well into my latest diet (aka Ketogenic*), I've come across a real wiener, er, winner.

Column headers are; calories, carbs, fat, protein and sodium

OK! So, it don't look like very much and, you know what? It isn't! Just 166 calories (with enough salt to last me a few weeks). And, yes the salt issue aside, this is a low carb, high protein repast that was just the ticket for an otherwise so so Tuesday in September!

*The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain-function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source.

Lima beans are what's good to eat!

As a food source, Lima beans were known to be cultivated more than 7000 years ago making them rather ancient! As they can stand the heat better than most beans, Lima's are often grown in tropical areas like Africa and Asia.And, I've found either you like the taste or you don't. 

The scientific name for Lima beans is Phaseolus lunatus and these puppies are chock full of nutrients as the graphic above shows. They are also high in fiber and really help to moderate or stabilize blood sugar levels which is a good thing for all us diabetics. Even more amazing, in a study that examined food intake patterns and risk of death from coronary heart disease, researchers followed more than 16,000 middle-aged men in the U.S., Finland, The Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece and Japan for 25 years. Typical food patterns were: higher consumption of dairy products in Northern Europe; higher consumption of meat in the U.S.; higher consumption of vegetables, legumes, fish, and wine in Southern Europe; and higher consumption of cereals, soy products, and fish in Japan. When researchers analyzed this data in relation to the risk of death from heart disease, they found that higher consumption of legumes was associated with a whopping 82% reduction in risk!! Wow!

Every 100 gram serving (~ half a cup) delivers about 114 grams of calories and will fit nicely as a side for most any meal. I like to buy them frozen in one pound bags in the frozen food isle. They cook up in just a few minutes and cost just a couple of bucks!