The Humble Bean - A Super Food Leading A Double Life
There aren't a lot of foods that can hold
more than one place on the food
pyramid. But, long before we started
talking about super foods, ancient
peoples knew the benefits this humble
food had to offer; as a vegetable, a
protein, and a healer.
In traditional Indian medicine, there exists
an ages-old system of living and healing
that includes a vegetarian diet using
legumes like lentils, beans, and peas to
keep the body healthy. Now, beyond the
Middle-Eastern cultures, many people recognize the power of the bean to support whole nutrition and well-
being. Here, we discuss some of the benefits of beans, and why they are leading a double life as a well-
respected super food.
Perfect Nutrition On Many Levels
Legumes are edible seeds contained in pods, and beans are part of that family. By their very nature, beans have
a convenience factor that makes them a favorite food in many parts of the world. They are generally
inexpensive and store well with the potential for a long shelf life, particularly when they are dried. Beans offer
sustained nutrition and energy due to the fact they have a low glycemic index, meaning they provide energy to
the body over a long period of time.
You won't get bored quickly eating beans, either. There is virtually an endless variety of beans and legumes to
choose from, as well as a mountain of recipes to try when adding beans to your healthy diet. A short list of
beans would include navy beans, black beans, lentils, soybeans, great northern beans, mung beans, garbanzo
beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and kidney beans.
Beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, and are naturally low in fat, calories, and
sodium. You can serve beans in nutritious main dishes or side dishes that will satisfy your appetite with less-
costly consequences to your body, or budget. These reasons alone would easily earn beans their super food
status, but there's more!
Eating several servings of beans each day not only helps you reach your daily vegetable requirement, but those
same beans also add up as your protein intake. Yes, those inexpensive, versatile beans are a protein. That's
why we consider them a double-duty super food. Beans can easily be combined in recipes with other protein
sources, vegetables, and starches like corn, whole wheat, or brown rice to create 'complete proteins'
containing all the necessary amino acids our bodies require to function well.
