I did a “quick and dirty” version of my cooked bean mix for my birds. I wanted to make them today and I had to go to the store for beans so rather than soak them overnight, I did a “fast cook” version of my usual method, drained and rinsed them and then added the other ingredients. Normally I soak them for about 8 hours in cold water and rinse repeatedly. But you can do it this way if you don’t have the time or did what I did and forget to soak them.

I would like to thank and acknowledge Shari Mirojnick for her knowledge and influence on this bean mix recipe. It was her input and method that the bean mix I made has improved. She has been making a bean mix for her birds for over ten years now.

Here is the nutritional low-down of some of the ingredients. :

Lentils:

Pure and simple, lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. There is no cholesterol content in lentils, yet at the same time, they are very low in saturated fat. Another important nutrient that lentils are rich in is thiamin. Lentils are also high in folic acid, contain antioxidants, calcium and are rich in vitamin B. They are good sources of important minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Quinoa:

Quiona is high in protein and includes all the nine essential amino acids supplements. It is a popular choice for vegans, as it helps them take in the adequate amount of proteins, a sometimes tricky thing if you are vegan. It is gluten-free and it a wonderful source of phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. It contains vitamin B6, niacin and thiamine. It has lysine for building proteins in the body, also contains riboflavin, (vitamin B2) an extremely important vitamin for producing energy.

Barley:

Barley is absolutely loaded with fiber. It provides insoluble fibers that help feed friendly bacteria in the digestive tract. This helps maintain larger populations of friendly bacteria. What this does is crowd out disease-causing bacteria and prevents them from surviving in the intestinal system. Barley is also a source of niacin, a B vitamin. Barley is also a good source of niacin, a B vitamin.

Beans:

High in fiber, high in protein, Beans contain no cholesterol, Most beans contain at least 20% protein and are quite high in carbohydrates. This provides longlasting energy.  Beans also provide essential B Vitamins and Iron.

Wild Rice:

Wild rice is actually an aquatic grass. It contains more Niacin (also known as vitamin B-3), than brown rice and it’s an excellent source of other B vitamins, such as calcium and potassium. It is a good source of fiber, it’s high in carbohydrates which is great for boosting your bird’s energy.