• Cannellini beans, popular in Italian cooking, belong to the same family as the haricot bean, and have a similar floury texture when they are cooked. Though an excellent source of dietary fibre, beans can produce side effects such as bloating. Side effects can be somewhat minimized by ensuring that canned beans are thoroughly rinsed before use.

• Here low-fat plain yogourt is used to thin the bean spread. Traditionally, oil is used, making the spread higher in fat.

1. Heat the oil in a small skillet, add the onion and garlic, and cook gently until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the cannellini beans in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Remove the pan of onion and garlic from the heat and stir in the mashed beans, yogourt and thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper and mix well. Keep warm while preparing the toasts.
3. Preheat the broiler to high. Cut the crusty ends off the baguette and discard, then cut the loaf into 22 equal slices, 1⁄2 in. (1 cm) thick. Toast the bread slices on both sides under the broiler. (The toasts can be left to cool and then kept in an airtight container until ready to serve with the bean mixture, also cooled to room temperature.)
4. To serve, spread some bean mixture over each slice of toast, top with a tomato slice and garnish with fresh herb sprigs.

Preparation time about 10 minutes   
Cooking time 15 minutes   
Makes 22 crostini

Each serving (one toast) provides: calories 61, calories from fat 9, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 0 mg,
carbohydrate 11 g, fibre 2 g, sugars 0 g, protein 2.5 g.

Choices per serving: Carbohydrate 1⁄2