For a complete list of stores selling Yumbini in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, click here.  Remember, if there is not a store near you, we ship FREE (!) anywhere in the US!  Order on line here.

The term “processed food” is confusing.  It is true that some processing removes important nutrients, or adds too much salt or sugar to foods.  But on the other hand, most food processing, such as cleaning, drying, freezing, canning and cooking, makes food safer, taste better and last longer.

Yumbini contains only dried beans, rice, vegetables, sunflower oil and seasonings.  No added sugar, and a carefully controlled amount of salt.  Drying is probably the oldest food preservation method on earth.  The only thing taken away is water, leaving the nutrients behind.  But taking out that water means the microbes that cause food spoilage cannot grow (they need water to live just like you!).  The result is a lightweight, super stable, take anywhere, yummy, heathy meal!  Go Yumbini!

 The beans and rice in Yumbini are pre-cooked and dried again.  So when you prepare Yumbini at home (or at the office, or campsite), you are just heating it and soaking the water back up.

People often ask if Yumbini is freeze dried.  The answer is no.  Yumbini is air dried, similar to what you would do in a home dehydrator.  This method is simpler and less energy intensive than freeze drying.  And it works great for producing full flavored beans and rice that are shelf stable without preservatives!

Even for the most ardent bean-eater, it is hard to sit down to a bowl of just beans.  But the addition of rice makes a meal.  Plus beans and rice not only taste great together, they create a nutritional powerhouse that is hard to beat. The happy marriage of beans and rice creates what is called a “complete” protein. It’s all about the balance of “amino acids“, the building blocks of protein. Beans are high in the amino acid lysine but low in methionine. Rice is the other way around – low in lysine but high in methionine. They compliment each other. Talk about partnership – no wonder beans and rice are enjoyed together all over the world! And just in case you are worried about the carbs in Yumbini, we have that covered too. Read more about carbs, and check out the results of our glycemic index testing.

Yes!  Gluten is found naturally in wheat, barley, rye, triticale and related grains.  There is no gluten in beans or rice, or any of the other ingredients in Yumbini.  In addition, our processing facility has strict allergen policies and procedures to avoid cross contamination.  Yumbini is not third-party certified gluten free.  This is because we feel it is more important to keep product costs low (and pass savings on to you).

Yumbini, after cooking, should be the texture of tender, properly cooked rice and beans mixed together.  When preparing, be sure to heat until boiling rapidly and allow to stand at least 3 minutes after cooking.  If it is too watery and/or crunchy, wait another minute to cool and absorb water.  You can also microwave another 30 seconds-1 min if needed.

If your Yumbini comes out a bit dry, feel free to add a little extra water.  Remember, microwaves vary so you may need to adjust cooking time for best texture.  When cooking, the Yumbini should come to a full bubbling boil, but not “cremate!”

You can add boiling water to Yumbini (in a heat proof container), but it will take much longer for the water to soak in – about 15-20 minutes.  If you use this method, remember the food safety rule of keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold.  So devour it right away or store in the refrigerator for later.  If you are traveling, and want to eat your Yumbini later in the day, try making it in a Thermos to keep it hot.  Read more in this article to learn how. Please remember, the Yumbini bag is NOT heat-safe.  Do not pour hot water into the bag.  And do not eat Yumbini without cooking.

That is a great question, and the answer is “it depends”!  You have probably heard a lot about the virtues of fresh fruits and vegetables.  And it is true that fresh produce, right off the farm, in peak season, can’t be beat.  On the other hand, we also know fresh fruits and veggies are highly perishable.  That means they start losing their good color, flavor, texture and nutrients as soon as they are picked.  And it can be a long journey from the farm, to the store, to your refrigerator, to your Yumbini!  On the other hand, canned and frozen vegetables are processed within hours of harvest so the nutrients and flavor are “locked in” until ready to eat.  That makes them super convenient and a great choice!

The biggest key to remember is that eating some vegetables (any kind!) is better than no vegetables.  And Yumbini is a great friend to forgotten vegetables everywhere.  No matter what you have available, it can taste great with Yumbini  – so frozen, fresh or canned – don’t feel guilty!  Read more about this here.

Canned beans are a wonderful invention.  Extremely nutritious and convenient.  They have a place in every kitchen.

BUT they don’t taste as good as cooking beans yourself from dry.  Some may attribute this to the can itself.  But the flavor difference is mostly from the high heat needed for sterilization, and food additives (calcium chloride, EDTA, etc.) used to improve color and texture.

The beans used in Yumbini have none of that! They are pre-cooked using a patented process somewhat similar to what you do at home.  Steam is used so flavor, color and nutrients are not lost in cooking water.  Then the cooked beans are dried again so they are shelf stable.

What that means for you is delicious, home cooked flavor, and optimal nutrition!

Yumbini is proudly made in California, USA.

We think using your own bowl makes Yumbini more yummy!  Even more importantly, it allows us to use minimal packaging – and prevents a lot of big trashy plastic and paper cups from going straight to landfill, or worse yet, floating in the ocean (no sorry, those cups are NOT recyclable or compostable).

The other advantage of cooking in your own pot or bowl is that you avoid cooking in plastic.  Yes, even paper cups have a thin plastic coating on the inside.  It is not known if this is harmful or not – better to just avoid it!  Also if you use your own pot for cooking, you can choose one without a nonstick coating.  Read more about nonstick cookware in our blog here.

No!  All the ingredients in Yumbini (besides the sunflower oil) are dried.  Drying is probably the oldest food preservation method in the world.  The only thing taken away is water, leaving the nutrients behind.  But taking out that water means the microbes that cause food spoilage cannot grow (they need water to live just like you do!).  And if you are wondering about the sunflower oil, it doesn’t contain any water to begin with.  So no preservatives are required!

Yumbini does not include any ingredients that contain the “big 9” allergens (wheat, soy, milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, peanuts, tree nuts or sesame).  And our processing facility has strict allergen policies and procedures to prevent cross contamination.

No, we do not use any genetically modified ingredients, and confirm this with our suppliers.

New “genetically modified organisms” (GMOs), also called “bioengineered” (BE) ingredients (plants and now animals too) are being developed all the time.  But there may not be as many as you think.  The list of GMO food crops (maintained by law by the USDA) contains only 14 items.  You can see it and learn more here.

You may be interested to know that as of January 1, 2022, food manufacturers are required to label foods that contain GMO/BE ingredients.  But be aware that this information may not be obvious.  It can be shown on the label using words, symbols, a scannable link (like a QR code), text message instructions, phone number or web address.  Learn more here. 

You have probably heard that food waste is a big environmental  problem.  One article reports that wasted food results in greenhouse gas emissions equal to 42 coal powered power plants every year!  But did you know most food waste happens at HOME?  We all have the best intentions, but before you know it, the greens are slimy, and there is mold on the cheese and strawberries.  Besides the environment, think of all the money you are wasting!  What to do?  Here are some tips:

• Plan your produce: only buy what you know you can eat, and focus on eating it before it goes bad.
• Embrace leftovers: make a point of eating last night’s leftovers for lunch today.  The world’s quickest meal!
• Use your freezer: store perishables like meat, fish, cheese, bread, nuts, seeds and whole grains in the freezer before they have a chance to go bad.  Freeze leftovers in lunch-size portions for quick future meals.
• Try Yumbini: Yumbini is right-sized for one meal and a perfect base for leftovers and not-so-fresh produce.  Split a pack with a friend and you can clear out the entire refrigerator!
• Make soup!: You can make soup out of almost anything – just add water or broth and boil it up.  Add a can of tomatoes, some red or green lentils (or a pack of Yumbini) to thicken it up if needed.  If your soup ingredients are unconventional or not so attractive, puree the cooked mixture and nobody will be the wiser!

What a great question!  Kids love beans and rice and want food FAST, so Yumbini is a perfect fit.  As to which flavor, it is always safest to start with Mild & Creamy.  It has a mild, savory flavor and mashed beans give it a soft, creamy comfort food texture.  Even toddlers like it!

Next up would be Cowboy BBQ.  It tends to be another kid favorite because of the slight sweetness (from apples – no sugar!).  Besides the sweetness, the spices in Cowboy BBQ are similar to mustard and ketchup which are familiar flavors for most kids.

Then, depending on the kid, some like the spiciness of Curried Turmeric and  Smoky Chipotle.  At demos, we tell kids these two taste like Indian food or a spicy burrito.  Some older kids will say “I want to try the burrito (or Indian food)  one”!

Another good thing about kids and Yumbini, is that many of them can make it themselves in the microwave.  Click here for tips on making sure this is a success (for them and for YOU!).

No, Yumbini is not certified organic.  We certainly support organic agriculture.  It protects our environment from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  But it is also expensive and restrictive.  Because Yumbini was intentionally created to provide healthy convenient food for every day people on a budget (the ramen-eaters in all of us!), it is purposely not organic to keep the price as low as possible.  Read more about this in our blog Would Organic Make it Better?

On the other hand, we also made Yumbini as inclusive and accessible as possible.  So it does not include any wheat, gluten, “big 9” allergens, animal products, preservatives, MSG, artificial, or GMO containing ingredients. 

Fortunately there is a lot of research being done now on sustainable land systems – both organic and conventional.  All farmers have a key role to play in rebuilding soil, sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change. 

You certainly can enjoy Yumbini with meat.  But there is plenty of protein in Yumbini already and most Americans need to eat more vegetables for optimal health.  We try to make veggies convenient, fun and delicious!

Please put your empty Yumbini bags in the trash.  You can read more in our FAQs about our efforts to develop a compostable or recyclable bag, but the technology is not there yet.  On the other hand, we are very hopeful about new waste treatment processes being developed called “Advanced Recycling”.  What advanced recycling does is convert waste back into its chemical building blocks.  These base chemicals can then be used to make all kinds of new materials.  Advanced recycling is important not only to process packaging waste, but also discarded electronic parts, construction waste, used clothing and all kinds of other rigid plastic waste.  Learn more about plastic waste management here, and here and here.

Please remember that plastic, and other waste, can only be recycled or treated if it is disposed of properly.  Please do not litter!  And please do not put plastic film in your recycling bin.  It tangles up the equipment.  Please put your used Yumbini bags in the trash where they can be taken care of properly.

We are working hard on this one!  Recycling is definitely the way to go, but it is especially complicated with plastic bags/film.  There are very few recycling systems that can handle plastic film.  And the ones that do, object to any kind of food residue on the bags. The good news is technology is evolving rapidly and we have our eye on it!  We are very excited about the future of “advanced” or “molecular” recycling, but the technology is still developing.  Read more here.

When we first started Yumbini, we thought using a compostable bag was the obvious best choice.  But as we learned more, we changed our minds.  The biggest hurdle is that, in most cases, infrastructure for composting packaging does not exist.  Even in the few areas where food waste is collected, composters do not want packaging because 1) it takes too long to break down and 2) it is too difficult to tell which plastic is compostable and which is not.  The other difficulty is that creating a package that is strong enough to protect the food, but breaks down the minute it is thrown away is tricky.  You don’t want bags composting in your cupboard or backpack!  But, technology is changing rapidly, so we are keeping our eye out for new breakthroughs!

This is a fair question and one we are looking into for the future.  The rice that goes into Yumbini is pre-cooked and dried so it can be ready for you in a jiffy when you are hungry.  Brown rice just can’t do that.  Also, brown rice has a short shelf life which would make Yumbini taste stale or rancid. 

But you can relax because the main reason to eat brown rice instead of white is the added fiber.  Fortunately, Yumbini contains a LOT of fiber (more than a quarter of what you need for the day) from the beans and lentils.  So relax, you’re covered!

Citric acid is naturally occurring in many fruits, most notably, and not surprisingly, citrus fruit as well as strawberries.  Small amounts are also formed by the human body as you metabolize (digest and use) food.  The citric acid we use has been produced by natural fermentation.  Following fermentation, it is highly purified and certified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) which verifies the quality, purity, strength and consistency.

Citric acid, like all acids, has a sour or tart flavor.  It is used in Yumbini to improve the flavor.  Citric acid is sometimes confused with ascorbic acid, which is another word for vitamin C.  Unlike ascorbic acid, citric acid is not an essential nutrient for your body.  But it does serve to make many foods more delicious and enjoyable!

We strongly recommend using stainless steel, cast iron or carbon steel cookware.  This is especially important when frying and sauteing.  Nonstick pots and pans can seem convenient at first, but they are not best for health.  No only does the nonstick coating scratch off into your food, but the coating can release harmful chemicals when exposed to high heat (like your stove!).  Old non-stick pans, that you might have gotten from your grandma or the thrift store are, unfortunately, the worst (because the non-stick coatings used in the past were found to be harmful and are not permitted in new cookware).   Learn more about how to protect yourself here, here and here.  Read our blog on this subject here.

We use the US Postal Service to ship Yumbini for two reasons.  One is that USPS is the most economical, meaning you don’t pay any more for shipping than you have to.  The other is that the USPS already visits every address in the United States every day.  That means, a truck doesn’t have to make a special trip to deliver your Yumbini.  No special trip means no extra pollution from yet another delivery truck driving around!