HEARTLAND'S FINEST

     

PRODUCT INTRODUCTION

As part of your gluten-free diet and culinary adventures, embrace the incredible, edible bean. No longer a best-kept secret, pinto and navy bean flours are known to offer a fantastic nutritional profile to the gluten-free food scene. To that end, Heartland’s Finest of Michigan and Minnesota has adopted the “From our fields to your table” approach to milling its quality pinto and navy beans into finely ground flours to produce three distinct gluten-free product lines that include artisan flours, pasta and cereal.

To enhance the texture, taste, nutritional content and performance of your gluten-free baked goods, have pinto and navy bean flours at the ready in your cupboard. Designed to be used interchangeably in an array of baked goods ranging from breads and muffins to cakes, cookies and more, pinto and navy bean flours help with “lift” and “volume” while promoting moistness, all of which help to replicate the delicious mouth-feel and taste of wheat-based goods. Finely ground to yield optimum results, Heartland’s pinto and navy bean flours provide an artisan-quality performance standard and pleasing taste to be used in gluten-free flour blends or as convenient substitutions for recipes calling for wheat flour. The Heartland’s Finest Performance Blend helps take gluten-free baking to the next level with its combination of Navy Bean Flour, Tapioca Starch, and White and Sweet Rice Flour.

And for pasta aficionados, thankfully, gluten-free does not mean pasta-free. Heartland’s Finest tackled the gluten-free pasta challenge and successfully developed a line of Italian-style pastas featuring a unique combination of navy bean flour and corn flour that capture the taste, texture and golden color of traditional Italian-style pastas that are made with semolina. Choose from Elbow Macaroni, Rotini, Ziti, Spaghetti, and Macaroni & Cheese varieties. And for fast-paced lifestyles requiring convenience in meal preparation, Heartland’s Finest pastas are quick-cooking, needing only three to four minutes of boiling with minimal rinsing. For a meal at the office or when on vacation, simply add boiling water to the pasta, let stand for eight minutes, and drain for a ready-to-eat pasta. The pasta can also be prepared with a cold water soaking for 1.5 to 2 hours and no rinsing is needed.

For breakfast or snack enthusiasts who enjoy a wholesome, guilt-free experience, Heartland’s Finest presents CerOs. Not to be confused with the Cheerios® Brand, CerOs is a nutritious gluten-free delight made from pinto bean flour, white rice flour, a trace of beet sugar and salt – that’s it. Packed with complex carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fiber, this low-calorie, cholesterol-free food adds a nutritious component to gluten-free diets. Each serving provides three grams of fiber and five grams of protein. CerOs come in Original, Raspberry and Cinnamon flavors.

CULINARY NUTRITION TRIVIA

The USDA recently redesigned its Food Pyramid and the new “My Pyramid” places dry beans in two of the major food groups.

Incorporating navy bean and pinto bean flour and products into the gluten-free diet is an easy way to help boost protein and fiber content.

Well-loved throughout the Spanish-speaking world and the United States, the pinto bean is a powerhouse of nutrition and flavor. Commonly used with rice dishes, soups and stews, the “painted” bean (pinto means painted in Spanish) is loved for its mild flavor and is widely used in favorites such as refried beans and chili con carne. So, turning the pinto bean into flour for baking and other culinary uses is an innovative use of this worldly bean. With its high protein, complex carbohydrate, high fiber and low fat nutritional profile, pinto bean flour adds another ingredient to the GF ingredient arsenal, providing a wholesome boost to gluten-free baking and cooking while helping with performance quality and imparting flavor.

A member of the legume family, the navy bean is also referred to as the Yankee bean. Since the mid 19th century, navy beans have been a food staple for the United States Army. Navy beans are most commonly found in Boston Baked Bean recipes and variations thereof. And like pinto bean flour, navy bean flour is a pivotal culinary variation from the whole navy bean that helps give gluten-free baking the buoyant and moist quality often found with wheat-based baked goods. Navy bean flour is also well-suited for making pasta.

Not limited to gluten-free baking, pinto bean and navy bean flours are also well-suited for making an array of sauces, gravies, breading for meats, crackers and tortilla chips.

Heartland’s Finest Pinto Bean and Navy Bean Flours do not require refrigeration to promote shelf life.

COMPANY PROFILE

Heartland Ingredients L.L.C. is a farmers cooperative based in Ubly Michigan that produces the Heartland’s Finest branded products. With the growing gluten-free food industry requiring innovative products and new uses of traditional ingredients, Heartland Ingredients was poised to pull its agricultural and creative resources together to bring new gluten-free products to the marketplace using dry whole beans harvested in America’s Heartland. Turning pinto and navy beans into quality flours with top performance characteristics was the beginning point of developing a product line that specifically meets the dietary requirements for celiac and gluten-intolerant individuals while also being suitable for those needing low-glycemic foods. From the beginning, the Heartland’s Finest product line was created with consumer opinion surveys, market research guided by selected state universities, and the experience of a licensed dietician in mind. Heartland’s individual pinto and navy bean flours serve the baking community of home and professional chefs while the pastas and cereals cater to the needs of convenient food preparation for busy, on-the-go lifestyles.

HEARTLAND'S FINEST PRODUCTS

Flours (available in 1 and 2 pound packages): Pinto Bean Flour, Navy Bean Flour, and Performance Blend; Pastas: Elbow Macaroni, Rotini, Ziti, Spaghetti, and Macaroni & Cheese. Cereals: Original Flavor CerOs, Raspberry Flavor CerOs, and Cinnamon Flavor CerOs.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

All Heartland’s Finest products are wheat-free/gluten-free. All products are produced to meet the strict dietary specifications of Celiacs. All products are manufactured in a facility that processes soy and corn.

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY

Heartland’s Finest products are available in specialty and natural foods stores nationwide and via online at www.heartlandsfinest.com or by calling 888.658.8909 EST. For a complete listing of current locations that carry Heartland’s Finest products please visit http://heartlandsfinest.com/stores/heartland_retail_locator.php.

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICES

Pinto Bean Flour: $2.90 – $5.19
Navy Bean Flour: $2.69 - $4.99
Performance Blend Flour: $3.10 - $25.03
Pastas: $3.19 – $3.79
Ceros: $3.69 - $3.99

WEBSITE ADDRESS - LINK

www.heartlandsfinest.com