Beans, beans, the magical fruit! While we know that beans are not fruit, these humble legumes can be somewhat magical in our diets. They are great sources of plant-based protein that promote heart and digestive health. Beans are also inexpensive and versatile! Let’s dive into what the science says about beans and explore fun ways to eat them.
Bean Appetite!
Get creative with sweet and savory bean ideas:
Savory:
• Whip up hummus for a veggie dip or sandwich spread
• Add kidney or cannelini beans to soups and salads
• Replace chicken with chickpeas for a chickpea salad sandwich
• Season and roast garbanzo beans for a crunchy snack
• Replace or displace meat with black or pinto beans in tacos, burgers, burritos and quesadillas
• Make Meatless Monday about Southern red beans & rice, pintos & Spanish rice or Mediterranean falafel (chickpeas)
Sweet:
• Use black beans in brownies
• Blend white beans into blondies
• Make edible raw chickpea
“cookie dough”
Types of beans
Now that you know all about how beans can be a healthy addition to your diet, let’s explore some different types of beans you can try:
- Black beans
- Black-eyed peas
- Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
- Fava beans (also called broad beans)
- Great Northern beans
- Anasazi beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils (actually legumes)
- Lima beans
- Navy beans
- Pinto beans
- Soybeans
- Adzuki beans
For delicious recipes, nutrition tips, and cooking and nutrition classes, go to the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center website. More health tips are also available at the College of Health and Human Sciences Pinterest board.