If you eat more good things than bad you should be able to maintain or lose weight. This is the core tenet of so many diets out there, and that’s what led me to create good choice, bad choice. Because at the end of the day it’s all about making better choices. Which leads me to beans. Beans are a good choice. Pinto beans, black beans, red beans, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, fava beans, northern beans, kidney beans, and even things like dried peas and lentils are very, very good choices.
Why are Beans so Good for You?
A common theme among people across the globe who live to 100 is that they eat beans nearly daily. I tell everyone that there are 4 main reasons beans are good for you, and they all help as you get older (as well as help you live longer).
- Protein: Beans have plant protein, which is healthier for you than animal protein. It doesn’t matter if you are vegan, vegetarian, or a carnivore, beans are a great option. If you eat beans and whole grains you have all the beneficial elements of meat. I still eat meat, and have plenty of dishes with beans that have and do not have meat.
- Fiber: Why do you need fiber you say? Sooo many reasons. Fiber helps with inflammation for one. It helps with gut-health literally number two. Only 5-10% of Americans get the amount of daily fiber they need which means most people don’t digest food and go to the bathroom as well as they should.
- Vitamins: As you get older many people take multi-vitamins, but beans help you add copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, iron, folic acid, and more. Why take a bunch of supplements when you can just eat more beans.
- Feeling Full: People eat for many different reasons, but one of the top ones is that they are hungry all the time. Junk food is digested and burned off faster. Eating beans will fill you up for a longer period of time, and make you feel full while they digest and you get all the beneficial effects. Imagine eating a healthy food that makes you feel full for longer, while making you feel better and also assists in losing weight?
How to Eat Beans?
That’s for you to decide, but there are so many ways. Honestly a can of black beans cooked down with some salt can be a damn tasty addition to any meal! If you want to take that to the next level Charro Beans with ham, bacon, and chorizo really can’t be beat either.
Honestly for me, in the last year I’ve purchased lots of dried beans, soaked them overnight, and the next day just made soup with the beans and vegetables. Sometimes with ham or chicken, many times no meat at all (like minestrone). I’ve also made many different cucumber and lettuce salads with chickpeas, as well as chilis, casseroles and bakes, and more. At the end of the day, my goal in this post was to point out that for many reasons, beans are a “good choice”. I haven’t posted to this blog site in a couple years, so this post is a birthday gift to Matt. Let’s see if I can post more often this year!
