I teach a Bargain Beans class for Community Education for Dixie State College, and I mostly focus on how to soak, sprout, and cook beans. But, I haven’t covered the nutritional aspect as much, so I decided to do a post on it.

I think that if you knew how good they are for you, you would definitely want to include more of them in your diet. And, they have the same feel-good chemical as chocolate. So, you can start eating more beans to feel good and avoid some of the hazardous chemicals in cocoa.

So, here are four of the main nutritional benefits of beans:

Protein

Many different kinds of beans all have Many Nutritional Benefits.

Beans are known as the poor man’s meat. According to the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, two half-cup servings or more are needed daily per person as shown on The New Four Foods Group chart.

• 1-4 yr olds need a 1/4-1/2 cup serving.
• 5-6 yr olds need a 1/2-1 cup serving.
• 7-12 yr olds need two 1/2 cup servings.
• 13-19 yr olds need three 1/2 cup servings.

Longevity

Cooked beans in a meal add plenty of nutrition.

My husband has done some study on longevity and has found that the cultures that tend to eat the most beans also have the longest life spans. Studies have shown in animals that by including special compounds found especially in beans into the animals’ food helps to increase their life cycle.

Beans are known for increasing longevity because of the high amount of antioxidants and because they are a healthier protein. When people try to get their protein from animals, it is harder to digest and contributes to disease and cancer. Beans do the opposite, they help diabetics to get their blood stabilized faster. The soluble fiber in beans helps to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels.

Conclusion

Replace your meats with beans for better health. Make sure you include beans in more recipes to help you have a longer life, healthier nervous system, and stronger bones and muscles. See how to cook beans the easy way, a recipe for meatless pinto balls, how to avoid the gas that can come with beans, and how rice and beans are the perfect meal for digestive, immune, and heart health.