My neighbor gave me a 5lb bag of dried chickpeas she didn't want, and it made me think about how we buy beans.

I see a lot of folks at the store grabbing those single cans of beans for a dollar fifty each, when a bag of dried ones costs about the same but makes way more food. After soaking a cup overnight, I got the same amount as two cans for a fraction of the price, and they tasted better too. Do you have a favorite cheap bean or lentil you always keep on hand?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_hart534h ago

Yeah, it's wild how much we pay for convenience. I've got a bag of red lentils in my pantry that I use for everything, they cook so fast you don't even need to soak them.

jake9862h ago

Totally agree, it's crazy. I read this article last week about how companies charge a HUGE markup for pre-cooked or pre-seasoned stuff. Like, a basic bag of beans costs pennies but the same amount in a "ready to eat" pouch is like five bucks. Red lentils are a perfect example, they're cheap, they're healthy, and they don't need any special treatment. Makes you wonder why anyone buys the expensive shortcut versions.