If you’re planning to boost your health in 2025, adding more beans and lentils to your diet should be on your to-do list. These tiny powerhouses are loaded with nutrients like fiber, protein, iron, and magnesium, making them some of the most nutritious and adaptable foods out there. However, these gems are often overlooked in the grocery store. Perhaps it’s because they usually come in cans or because they were jokingly called the “musical fruit” in the ’90s, but beans and lentils haven’t received the attention they deserve while other superfoods like kale, chia seeds, and cauliflower have taken center stage.
Yet, it looks like beans are finally going to shine in 2025. Last month, the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee came out with new recommendations for dietary changes, including eating more beans and lentils. The report highlighted that a whopping 83% of people don’t meet the suggested intake of 1 to 4 cups of cooked beans, peas, and lentils per week.
With National Bean Day coming up on January 6, there’s no better time to start incorporating more beans and lentils into your meals. Here’s why you should be adding these nutrient-dense foods to your grocery list more often:
Health Benefits of Beans.
Beans and lentils are packed with a mix of nutrients such as protein, fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, zinc, and selenium. The specific nutrient content can vary depending on the type, but overall, they are low in saturated fat, have minimal sodium, and boast a low glycemic index.
Studies have shown that eating beans can provide a variety of health benefits, including:
Heart Health: Regular consumption of beans can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and protect against heart disease.
Colorectal Cancer Prevention: Eating beans may help guard against colorectal cancer.
Blood Glucose Control: Despite their carbohydrate content, beans can help protect against diabetes and aid in blood sugar control.
Weight Management: People who eat beans regularly tend to weigh less and have better waist-to-hip ratios compared to those who don’t.
Better Diet Quality: Those who consume beans generally have higher diet quality scores and intake more fiber, iron, calcium, and potassium than those who don’t.
Best Bean Choices and How to Enjoy Them.
From black beans to chickpeas, each type of bean offers slight differences in nutrient content and taste. The best beans are the ones you enjoy and are most motivated to eat. Here are five types that offer a particularly impressive range of nutrients:
Lentils: Half a cup of cooked lentils provides 8 grams of fiber, 9 grams of protein, and several micronutrients, including B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese.
How to enjoy them: Lentils are great in salads and soups, as a base for curries, transformed into burgers, or used as a meat substitute in Bolognese sauce.
Black Beans: Half a cup of canned black beans offers 6 grams each of fiber and protein, along with various micronutrients like iron, magnesium, manganese, folate, and thiamine.
How to enjoy them: Black beans are incredibly versatile and can be tossed into salads, added to taco bowls, mashed into baked goods, turned into burgers, or stuffed into quesadillas.
Cannellini Beans: Half a cup of canned cannellini beans provides 5 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 15% of the daily value for iron.
How to enjoy them: Cannellini beans are fantastic in soups like minestrone and pasta fagioli because they hold their shape well when cooked. They can also be whipped into a dip with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs as an alternative to hummus.
Chickpeas: A half-cup serving provides 6 grams of fiber and 7.5 grams of protein and is a good source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, copper, and manganese.
How to enjoy them: Canned chickpeas can be tossed onto a salad, mashed and added to a sandwich, whipped into hummus, or even roasted and drizzled with chocolate for a sweet treat.
Edamame: With 11 grams of protein per half-cup, edamame are particularly rich in protein. They also offer 4 grams of fiber and more than 10% of the daily recommended intake for folate, vitamin K, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus per half-cup serving. Edamame also contain isoflavones, a type of phytonutrient that may help alleviate menopausal symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes.
How to enjoy them: Edamame can be eaten on their own for a high-protein snack, tossed into a stir-fry, or added on top of a rice bowl. They’re a bit sturdier than other beans, making them a great substitute for animal protein in many dishes.
What to Look for in Beans.
Ready to eat more beans? Dried, canned, and frozen beans can all be healthy options. Look for products without added sauces and salt. If you’re using canned beans, make sure the label says “BPA-free.” BPA (bisphenol A) is an endocrine disruptor linked to various health issues. Most cans no longer contain BPA, but it’s good to double-check.
Beans and lentils are underrated, affordable, and versatile sources of nutrition. They provide a surprising array of often underconsumed nutrients like fiber, iron, calcium, and potassium. Including them regularly in your diet has been linked to various health benefits, making them a fantastic addition to your meals.
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