Why Americans Should Eat More Beans, Nutrition Experts Say

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Inflation-weary Americans are turning to simple, affordable legumes — and that’s good news, according to nutrition experts, who tout the high-protein, high-fiber, low-fat staples and what can do for your overall health.

Beans are “a nutritional powerhouse,” Amy Bragagnini, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told the Wall Street Journal in a recent op-ed on the musical fruit’s growing popularity, which cited a museum of new beans in New. Orleans, a bean-of-the-month club with a long waiting list and bean salad recipes going viral on social media.

Recent research has shown, the source revealed, that gorging on kidney beans and garbanzos is good for the gut — and can keep inflammation to a minimum.

Carrie Daniel, professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, an author of that study, told the Journal that beans can keep “beneficial players in the gut microbiome happy and functional.”

Currently, according to the paper, government advisers are advocating an increase in daily intake recommendations – now for adults on a 2,000-calorie diet, 1.5 cups is the suggestion.

The average American currently eats about half that, it was reported.

The paper cited a 2023 study of more than 15,000 people tracked for ten years. It turns out that those who ate beans gained less weight and had less belly fat than those who didn’t.

That’s because of the precious protein/fiber combination, which can really help with weight loss, nutrition researcher Yanni Papanikolaou recently told Eating Well.

“Getting more of these nutrients in your diet promotes satiety and helps you feel fuller for longer periods of time,” Papanikolaou, president of Nutrition Strategies, Inc., explained to the media.

“Accumulating evidence suggests that people who eat higher amounts of protein and fiber also have healthier BMIs,” he said.

What about those familiar, somewhat uncivilized side effects?

The more you eat, the more I won’t Sharon Palmer, a registered dietitian and founder of Food Planet, told Eating Well.

Start with small portions, she suggested—and give your system time to adjust.

The pinto push comes after nutritionist Gillean Barkyoumb, writing for Eat This, Not That!, suggested that lentils, another legume – and according to some experts, even more nutritious and good for you – may have a similar effect to GLP- in fashion. 1 hormone mimicking drugs prescribed to keep users feeling fuller for longer.

“Certain foods can naturally activate similar pathways,” Barkyoumb explained, citing oats, Greek yogurt and avocado among other healthy foods for weight management.

And, unlike Ozempic or Mounjaro, which can cost upwards of $1,200 a month at a U.S. drugstore, a week’s worth of beans can be had for less than $10 at almost any supermarket—and they’ll last in your pantry for years.