 Eating healthy can be a real challenge for anyone. Providing healthy meals for your family is an even bigger challenge as fast foods and junk foods feed a growing obesity problem among Hispanic children and adults. According to a recent report in the American Journal of Public Health, young Hispanic children are twice as likely to be overweight or obese as African-American or white children. A report from the Center for Disease Control reveals the growing ethnic concerns of obesity stating that 51% of Mexican-American women aged 40-59 were obese, compared to 39% of non-Hispanic women of the same age. What can you do about it? One part of the solution is to provide nutritional options to traditionally unhealthy desserts and snacks. A company named J. Hawkens Beans has come up with innovative ideas for using one of the staples of the Hispanic diet – the bean. According to research by J. Hawkens, the pinto bean offer significant amounts of folate, magnesium, and potassium to help prevent heart disease and potentially reduce the risk of heart attacks. By helping your body replenish iron, pinto beans increase energy levels and can help lower your cholesterol levels. Pinto beans can also help stabilize blood sugar for people with diabetes by providing over 14 grams of dietary fiber which is 58% of the recommended amount for adults. Pintos also offer 14 grams of protein which is a quarter of the USRDA of protein for adults. Pinto beans are a good source for the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin which are said to help maintain memory. Two new studies suggest that eating beans could lower your risk of developing a colon adenoma, a non-cancerous tumor that can progress into colon cancer. Pintos contain only 234 calories for each cup-sized serving, and of that only 8 are from fat. So the folks at J. Hawkens Beans have come up with new recipes to use pinto beans to create tasty foods that please the family while providing the nutrition from beans. One example is their Pinto Bean Pie (see recipe). With this new twist on the traditional bean, eSpanglish recently talked with Mr. J. Hawkens himself to find out more about his healthy interest in beans. eSpanglish: Mr. Hawkens, you’ve been growing pinto beans for more than fifty years. How did you come to realize the health benefits associated with them? J. Hawkens: My family established the homestead in 1892 and was one of the first farmers in this area, six generations ago. My grandfather first began growing pinto beans in the early 1950's, so for over 50 years our family has been enjoying the health benefits of fresh farm grown pinto beans. Studies have determined beans, specifically pinto beans, play a large role in lowering cholesterol. eSpanglish: Why did you choose to share your products to the Hispanic community in Middle Tennessee? J. Hawkens: Our daughter Andra moved to Nashville to pursue her country music career, and after several visits to the area our family realized how diverse Nashville is and what a strong Hispanic community is present. Beans are an integral part of the Hispanic community, to the degree that even regions and states in Mexico are linked to the types of beans that are grown or consumed there. Our family farm has employed Hispanic people since the mid 1960's, and J. Hawkens grew up speaking Spanish! We have a very close relationship with the Hispanic community and strive to provide a quality product as a staple for the diet. eSpanglish: What other products do you have to offer in addition to the pinto beans and how can they be purchased? J. Hawkens: J. Hawkens is part of a group of innovative local farm families that have access to a multitude of farm fresh products, beef, pork, sunflowers, corn, wheat, several types of beans, including pinto, black, kidney, lima, and myacoba, and black eyed peas. Our location contributes to a very high quality pinto bean. Our beans are grown a stone’s throw from the highest point in Kansas, Mt. Sunflower at nearly 4000 ft. our climate of warm days and cool nights with very low humidity is perfect for bright, healthy pinto beans. J. Hawkens family farm controls the quality of these beans from selecting the seed and planting it in the soil to placing the beans in the package, "Fresh From Our Family Farm, To Your Family's Table". J. Hawkens family farm owns the land, the equipment, the processing facility and the packaging facility to ensure value and quality is achieved at each level. Purchasing from J. Hawkens is direct purchasing, no middleman, which adds value to our customer. To purchase our products, contact us at www.jhawkensbeans.com or e-mail
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, also watch for J. Hawkens in the Nashville retail stores soon. Telephone 785 852 4203
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