Food of the Week: Black Beans
Beans are a great source of fiber and protein. Including beans in your meals can help you to stay full longer. Beans are also a versatile protein that can be incorporated into your meals and snacks in various ways. They are great for salads, soups, side dishes, and dips.
Black beans specifically are quite healthy and have a good balance of nutrients. They are a great replacement for meat in more plant-based diets. Not only do black beans contain plenty of fiber and protein, they are also a great source of magnesium and iron. These two nutrients are important to your health and can easily be overlooked. Including black beans in your meals can also add some potassium, manganese, copper, molybdenum, and B vitamins to your diet.
Resistant starch is important for your digestive system, and black beans are a great source of it. Healthy digestion, insulin sensitivity, balanced blood sugars, and satiety are all encouraged by consuming resistant starch in beans. Prebiotics are also helpful to your digestive system, and are found in fiber-rich foods like black beans. Prebiotics help to feed the good bacteria in your gut to maintain a healthy microbiome. Having probiotics and prebiotics in your diet can help improve the health of your digestive system.
Like mentioned, black beans are an especially great food for vegetarians and vegans to consume. This is because they are a great source of protein, iron, and calcium. Many people get these nutrients from meat and dairy products. It is totally possible to eat healthfully not consuming meat, but you do need to keep an eye on your calcium, iron, and vitamin B levels. Consuming foods like beans, broccoli, mushrooms, and leafy greens can help you receive all those nutrients in your weekly diet.
To learn more about the benefits of eating black beans regularly, check out these articles here and here.
Some of my favorite black bean recipes include:
- Tasty Black Bean Burgers (so tasty served with bbq sauce and sweet potato fries on the side!)
- Black Bean & Corn Salsa (yummy eaten with corn tortilla chips or served alongside chicken!)
- Vegan Black Bean Tortilla Soup (this is great with avocado or cilantro on top!)
Share your favorite black bean recipe with us in the comments!