The Cheapest Health Food Money Can Buy
Over the years, I’ve had plenty of patients tell me that they can’t afford to eat “healthy.”
Of course, I always respond telling them they can’t afford NOT to.
But today, I want to highlight that a healthy diet doesn’t have to break the bank.
In fact, one cheap pantry staple in particular can lead to a higher quality diet—and even help you achieve your weight loss goals.
It doesn’t get much cheaper than beans.
And according to recent research, it doesn’t get much healthier, either.
For this new study, researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to compare the health parameters of bean-eaters to non-bean eaters.
The category of “beans” included everything from kidney and black beans to pinto beans and chickpeas.
Compared to non-bean eaters, those who ate any amount of beans regularly tended to have a higher overall diet quality.
They had higher intakes of nutrients that tend to be deficient in the diet, like choline, magnesium, folate, iron, and vitamin E.
They also had better fatty acid ratios.
People who ate the most beans also tended to have lower BMIs and a 29 percent lower risk of an elevated waist circumference.
This makes sense since beans are high in fiber and protein, which means they make you feel fuller for longer.
Plus, a higher intake of fiber and potassium (also found in beans) can help lower blood pressure while reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
That’s a LOT of bang for your bean buck.
It’s easy to incorporate beans into your diet.
You can eat them as the main dish, or add them to soups, casseroles, stir fries, sauces—or even into brownies (trust me, try it!).
P.S. Six reasons to eat MORE fiber.
SOURCE:
Papanikolaou Y, Slavin J, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Adult dietary patterns with increased bean consumption are associated with greater overall shortfall nutrient intakes, lower added sugar, improved weight-related outcomes and better diet quality. Nutr J. 2024;23(1):36. doi:10.1186/s12937-024-00937-1
