Nutrition Expert Highlights 8 Bean Varieties as Fewer Than 14% of Americans Eat Them Daily
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Nutrition Expert Highlights 8 Bean Varieties as Fewer Than 14% of Americans Eat Them Daily
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Summary
Samantha Cassetty singled out eight beans and legumes—including black beans, chickpeas, lentils and edamame—as affordable staples that deliver protein, fiber, iron, folate and other key nutrients.
Fewer than 14% of U.S. adults eat beans on a given day, she said, despite evidence linking regular consumption to lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Several picks came with specific nutrition or research-backed benefits: black beans provide about 8 grams each of protein and fiber per half-cup, while edamame and white beans deliver about 9 grams of protein.
Pinto beans stood out for cholesterol findings—Cassetty cited a trial in which a half-cup a day cut total and LDL cholesterol by more than 8%—while kidney beans and black-eyed peas were noted for gut and anti-inflammatory benefits.
The broader pitch is practical as much as nutritional: canned or frozen beans are cheap, quick to prepare and easy to add to salads, grain bowls, chili, wraps and snacks.