“No food is perfect but beans come close,” said Bethany Thayer, MS, registered dietician nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “They actually fall into two different food groups — protein and vegetables. In addition to the protein they provide, they are rich in fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and thiamine; low in fat and sodium; and are cholesterol-free.” Diets rich in fiber can lower the risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and obesity, she said.
And if you’re on a budget, beans are inexpensive and easy to prepare. Just toss them in a salad, pair them with rice, or roll them into a whole-wheat tortilla as a meat substitute and you’re good to go! For bakers, black bean flour can be used as a swap for white flour in certain recipes.
