French beans are smaller than common green beans and have a soft, velvety pod. Quite fleshy for their size, only tiny seeds inhabit these delicate pods. French beans are sweet, tender and wonderfully crispy. French beans are delicious. The tasty beans are picked while still small and when cooked that size they taste out of this world.

• Fresh green beans are very low in calories (31 calories per 100 g of raw bean pods) and contain no saturated fat.

• The beans are a very rich source of dietary fiber which acts as a bulk laxative.

• Green beans contain excellent levels of vitamin-A, and health-promoting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and β -carotene in right amounts.

• They also carry good amounts of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), and vitamin-C. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.

Wrap them in soft cloth or newspaper and refrigerate them. Avoid storing in plastic containers, as they trap the moisture in.