The Magic of Beans

their surprising benefits + a recipe for Saucy Lentils

One peek into my kitchen cabinets is all the proof needed of my love of beans. Right now, I have a nice variety of both dried and canned beans on hand—dried white, black and pinto beans, split peas, and three types of lentils, and canned navy, cannellini, black, kidney, chickpeas, and black-eyed peas. Just standing at my open cupboard looking at the array of them excites me with culinary possibilities, and comforts me knowing the bounty of inexpensive, environmentally-friendly nutrition they provide. When you dig into the details about beans, it’s easy to see why they are so magical, and why they are one of the five foods to say YES to.

(When I use the word “beans” as a category, I am including dried beans, peas and lentils, which are all legumes, also known as pulses.)

The #1 Longevity Food

They may seem small and unassuming, but beans have huge nutritional benefits.  They are rich in protein, and one of the few significant plant sources of the essential amino acid lysine. They are packed with vitamins and minerals that many Americans fall short of, including potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc, and they provide a bounty of antioxidants and fiber.

Studies show that eating beans is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, and more. It’s not surprising that beans were dubbed the #1 longevity food by Dan Buettner, who is well known for studying “The Blue Zones,” the five populations around the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. (Listen to my podcast episode with Dan Buettner here.)

Environmentally Friendly

Beans are also help keep the environment healthy.  They help with soil fertility by fixing nitrogen, they increase biodiversity, and they are very water-efficient to grow. Those are among the reasons the United Nations has declared February 10^th World Pulses Day.

Cheap and Chic

Beans are inexpensive and, dried or canned, they have a long shelf life, so they are easy to keep on hand. Along with those practical assets, they bring plenty of pleasure to the table. Their culinary possibilities are as vast as the globe itself. Just about every culture around the world has traditionally relied on beans for sustenance, so there is a deep food heritage to explore. But beans are modern too. Nowadays people are reaching more for sustainable, healthful plant-protein options, making beans the center of many on-trend dishes -- saucy pots of beans, mashed bean toasts, a thousand and one types of hummus, and crispy chickpea snacks, to name a handful.

What about Lectins?