Colorado Dry Bean Administrative Committee

Colorado Dry Bean Committee

 Colorado produces pinto, light red kidney, Mayocoba, black, garbanzo and red beans and black-eyed peas.

 Dry beans have been identified as a meat alternative by the USDA’s My Plate food guidance program. Beans provide balanced nutrition in the form of protein, fiber, carbohydrates and fat. One cup of cooked pinto beans supplies 25% of the daily recommended protein for an average person.

 The Colorado Dry Bean Committee is a market order division of the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Our mission is to promote the Colorado bean industry. We support the efforts of Chef Ron Pickarski, the Colorado Chefs Association, the Colorado Restaurant Association, Eco-Cuisine and Barber’s Foods to promote beans with culinary professionals. Visit our website www.ColoradoDryBeans.com for more information about our activities.

 Colorado is a major producer of dry beans in the United States. A combination of altitude, bright sunshine, fertile soils and Rocky Mountain water provide the prime mixture of elements for dry beans to flourish in taste and color. Dry beans have been identitifed as a meat alternative by the USDA My Plate food guidance system, providing balanced nutrition in the form of fiber and carbohydrates, along with protein and fat. In fact, one cup of cooked pinto beans supplies 25% of the daily recommended protein for a 150 lb. person. Primary bean varieties grown in Colorado include pinto beans, light red kidney beans, and Mayocoba yellow beans.

The Colorado Dry Bean Administrative Committee's mission is to promote the Colorado dry bean Agrarian farming through research and marketing. The Colorado Dry Bean Administrative Committee is a Colorado-proud organization that supports Chef Pickarski's work to promote beans in the professional culinary arena.

Pulses - The Perfect Plant Protein

When you hear the word “pulse” you may think of “taking your pulse” as the medical discipline to evaluate ones biological well-being. But the word “pulse” also refers to beans, peas, and lentils, which contribute to one’s biological vitality.

All protein is derived from plants.  Herbivores consume plants and omnivores and carnivores consume the herbivores, leading to an inefficient means of consuming protein. While every living being is receiving their dietary protein either directly or indirectly from plants, vegetarians prefer the direct, efficient route of consuming plant protein to fulfill their biological need.

Pulses are the perfect protein in that they are high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, a good source of protein, and low in fat (see complete nutrition information here).  They are able to feed a rapidly growing human population on earth and are a sustainable agrarian protein that puts nitrogen back into the soil.

For all of the above reasons, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had declared 2016 the International Year of the Pulse and February 10, 2019 the International Day of the Pulse. The FAO has chosen chef Ron Pickarski as their International Year of the Pulse Chef for North America because of his work with pulses.  Chef Pickarski strives to take pulses to the center of the plate as plant-based entrees that replace meat. Through the ANF, he works to educate chefs and the general public on the virtues of a vegetarian diet by creating culinary curriculums for schools and the general public, developing pulse recipes, promoting professional plant-based pulse culinary competitions to inspire chefs culinary innovation, and hosting gastronomic elegant gourmet dinners.  Your donations help make these ANF endeavors possible.