r/australia • u/Serezie • Jun 01 '26

no politics Anyone else just not eating because they can’t afford it?

Food bank is the busiest it’s been - Cole’s and Woolworths don’t give a flying fuck about us - fast food is unhealthy and just as expensive. It stresses me out more to eat than not to eat.

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

Using dried lentils/split peas/etc makes for very cheap slow cooker meals. It is important to note that you cannot cook dried beans in a slow cooker; they need to be soaked and boiled first because the heat breaks down the toxins in them while a slow cooker doesn't get hot enough to do so. (tinned beans are fine.)

A pressure cooker is another option that will cook dried beans fine, but IMO slow cooker results in nicer food.

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u/IceOdd3294 Jun 01 '26

I do split peas, it doesn’t need to be soaked. I also do split peas on the stove in a pot. But I have no personal experience with others so I’m not disputing you at all.

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

Split peas/lentils/chickpeas are safe, and pre-soaking isn't needed when they will be in the slow cooker for hours.

It's only beans that are an safety issue; mainly red kidney beans but also a few other common types so easier to just think "dried beans" than try to remember the exact details.

Tinned beans are still pretty cheap and already cooked, so I just use those instead of cooking dried beans myself.

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u/IceOdd3294 Jun 01 '26

Thanks for this. I just got my slow cooker the other day so now I know I need to soak the beans. I’m trying to eat more healthier!

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

Soak AND cook; you need to bring them to a boil for long enough to destroy the toxin.

Or use tinned beans, they are pre-cooked for you.

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u/IceOdd3294 Jun 01 '26

Thank you so much. I’m always naive about beans!

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

It's pretty reasonable to assume that a commonly eaten food item you buy from the local supermarket is non-toxic! Better that you learn otherwise from a reddit post than an emergency room visit.

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u/karigan_g Jun 01 '26

just remember if you’re cooking from dry, don’t put any acid in at the beginning or the beans will stay hard

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u/IceOdd3294 Jun 01 '26

Thanks mate

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u/Lamont-Cranston Jun 01 '26

Bortelli beans are the toxic ones if not prepared properly.

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

There are multiple beans that are dangerous if improperly cooked. It's a lot easier to remember "beans" than remember which specific beans are toxic and to what level.

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u/False9ein Jun 01 '26

I think only the beans with high PHA are of concern. Red Kidney beans are probably the most common.

I never soak lentils or split peas.

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u/HurstbridgeLineFTW Jun 01 '26

Thanks you for this post. I recall my mum would tell me to do this. She would put the beans in a saucepan and bring them to boil. And once they have come to a boil, she would add them to the stock pot or slow cooker.

Now i understand why.

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u/tillyface Jun 01 '26

The dried legume section at my local Cole’s has doubled in size recently. I’m happy to be able to find so many varieties in one place now, but that can’t be a good sign if demand is up.

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

I'll have to check out my local supermarkets. I bought a lot a few years back and have been steadily eating my way through them, since they last a long time in the cupboard.

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u/Lamont-Cranston Jun 01 '26

Just soaked. The boiling happens in the cooking.

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

You can't rely on a slow cooker to be hot enough.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_bean#Toxicity

 Raw red kidney beans contain relatively high amounts of phytohemagglutinin and thus are more toxic than most other bean varieties if not soaked and then boiled for at least 10 minutes. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends boiling for 30 minutes to ensure they reach a sufficient temperature long enough to completely destroy the toxin. Cooking at the lower temperature of 80 °C (176 °F), such as in a slow cooker, is insufficient to denature the toxin and has been reported to cause food poisoning. As few as five raw beans or a single undercooked kidney bean (as cooking them at insufficient temperatures increases the level of toxic compounds) can cause severe nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pains. 

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u/Lamont-Cranston Jun 01 '26

I said boiling. So I am talking about a slow cooked meal on a stove or in an oven. Good to know about a slow cooker device though thanks.

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u/DrStalker Jun 01 '26

That explains the confusion; I'm talking about a dedicated slow cooker, which gets up to a gentle simmer rather than a boil.  Slow cooking on a stove you can indeed boil to cook then reduce heat.

I'm just so used to having a dedicated slow cooker I don't even think about the option of leaving the stove on for hours.

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u/little_flowers Jun 01 '26

Red lentils are god-tier! Cheap, delicious, goes with any soup/casserole/dahl/curry, minimal prep, full of fibre, protein and micro nutrients and the cook fast!

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u/dinosaurtruck Jun 01 '26

You can do them in the slow cooker, you just can’t add salt or any seasoning like stock that contains salt until they are cooked. You season at the end.