In my last post I wrote about food packaging and the benefits of the humble steel can. Besides being the most recycled food package in the U.S., there’s lots of goodness on the inside. Today, I want to shout out the bean-efits of keeping your pantry stocked with this affordable, versatile, healthful, and tasty food. My cupboards are always stocked with canned beans because of many ways they can be used in every meal and almost every dish. Let’s break down why they are one of my favorite foods to support optimal aging and dispel a few myths about beans.
What’s in a name? Let’s start with the name. Do you get confused between legumes, beans, peas, lentils? And, what’s a pulse? A quick botany review: The umbrella plant term is legume, and the dried seeds of legumes are called pulses. The term pulse is derived from the Latin word, puls, which refers to the seeds that can be made into thick soups. There are many pulses but those most familiar to us in the U.S. include chickpeas, navy beans, butter beans, cannellini beans, red kidney beans, black-eyed peas, black beans, and lentils. You can find even more here.
What about canned beans and peas? Are they pulses?
Yes, because they started out as a dry bean or pea. Think of canned beans as “wet” versions of a dry bean. I know that sound like an oxymoron but dry refers to the pulse when harvested – not to their hydration level when canned. So, yes, canned beans are pulses.
Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans? Which is it?
Both! I asked John McDermott, a marketing and sales strategy consultant who has a long history working with Bush Brother & Company, so he knows a thing or ten about pulses. “The name chickpea comes from the Latin word cicer, referring to the plant family of legumes, Fabaceae. It is also known by its popular Spanish-derived name, the garbanzo bean.” (For more information on chickpeas/garbanzo beans click here. No matter what you call them, they have the same nutritional value and same versatility in many different dishes and on are found on many global tables.
What are the health benefits of pulses for healthy aging?
The answer could fill an academic journal, but here are the highlights of the “bean-efits.”
- Pulses have an excellent nutrient profile. “They are rich in protein, iron, fiber, the B-vitamin folate, the minerals potassium, magnesium, and choline,” says Dr. Karen Cichy, Research Plant Geneticist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, “and they are one of the most affordable sources of potassium and fiber…. two nutrients in short supply in the diet of most Americans.” Pulses are also naturally cholesterol-free and have a low glycemic index, meaning they can help keep blood sugar in check.
- Beans have many health benefits. Dr. Cichy cites research supporting the role of beans in weight management, reducing heart disease and cancer risk, and managing diabetes. “Beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, prebiotics, protein, resistant starch, and bioactive compounds which increase a feeling of fullness, moderate blood sugar and blood lipid levels, and tamping down oxidation,” says Dr. Cichy.
- One study found that eating a cup of beans or peas each day for one month reduced LDL-cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) by 9 points compared to those eating the same amount of white rice. For those who ask me about a “natural” way to lower cholesterol, skip the questionable dietary supplements and head to the bean aisle!
By now some of you are thinking, but what about gas or that Internet scare that says beans contain a toxic chemical and should be eliminated from your diet?
Beans contain a carbohydrate that is not digested in the gut, so it passes to the large intestine where it is fermented causing gas. “The cooking process reduces the gas-forming carbohydrates in pulses,” says Dr. Cichy. And she reminds us that if your diet is low in fiber and you suddenly ramp up your fiber intake you might experience more gas. “However, these same carbohydrates that contribute to gas are prebiotics, meaning they feed the healthy microbes in your gut.”
There is a popular diet, called a lectin-free diet, advising against eating foods containing compounds called lectins. Dr. Cichy explains, “lectins are sugar-binding proteins that can attach to red blood cells and alter them to produce a compound called PHAs. Lectins are naturally found in dry beans (as well as other pulses and whole grains) but the soaking and cooking process neutralizes the effect, so there is no need to stay away from cooked beans.” Canned beans are no cause for worry. The bottom-line? Don’t eat raw or undercooked beans!
Pulses are a part of many global cuisines, so venture beyond the baked beans and try something new. Here are just a few ideas and check out this website for the delicious, easy recipes listed below. All are found on cannedbeans.org (All photos of recipes courtesy of cannedbeans.org)
- Black Bean Guacamole (add drained black beans to your guacamole)
- Traditional Hummus (make hummus instead of buying it pre-made; homemade is higher in protein than store bought).
- Crunchy Garbanzo Beans (Roast chickpeas/garbanzo beans as a snack. I like to make them in the air-fryer, but you can roast them in the oven.)
- Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad (why not up the protein and fiber in tuna salad by adding beans?)
- Citrus Chicken Chili (Try white bean chicken chili instead of the usual beef chili.)
- Stuffed Greek Chicken Wrap (add beans to wraps!)
- Black Bean Brownies (yes, beans can be used in desserts, too. I made these around the holidays and were told they were the best brownies, ever!)
Pulses, including canned beans and peas, are “go to” staple in my kitchen. Why not add it to your pantry today?
Chris Rosenbloom is a registered dietitian and nutrition professor emerita at Georgia State University. She is the co-author of Food & Fitness After 50. Her blog, Fit to Eat, focuses on optimal aging. Click here to follow her blog.
