For many people who struggle to eat a healthy diet, the biggest barrier is often cost: Nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood tend to be a lot more expensive than ultra-processed foods.
But that’s not always the case. Some of the most nutritious foods on earth are also among the most affordable: beans, peas and lentils, collectively known as pulses.
Pulses are high in protein and fiber. They promote gut health, help with weight loss, and improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Health authorities recommend that adults eat one to three cups of beans, peas or lentils each week, depending on your calorie needs. Yet most Americans fall short of that goal, consuming on average just a half cup of beans each week, said Christopher Gardner, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.
“That’s an insanely small amount, given that beans, peas and lentils are such a powerhouse of protein and fiber and other nutrients,” he added.
Gardner was part of a government committee of nutrition experts that issued a report in December that said that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should emphasize beans, peas and lentils as a healthy source of protein and a good substitute for red and processed meat.
He said that adults should aim to eat at least a half cup of beans, peas or lentils per day – rather than per week.
“We should be doubling and tripling our bean intake – we should be eating them every day,” Gardner said. “Nutrient-wise they have all of the good stuff and none of the bad stuff – and they tend to be a lot less expensive than other foods. There are few foods that cost as little as beans, peas and lentils.”
How Eating Beans Can Make You Healthier
Pulses typically have several times more protein and fiber than brown rice, corn, wheat and other grains. A single cup of cooked lentils, for example, has 18 grams of protein, the amount in three large eggs. Yet unlike animal foods, they’re naturally free of cholesterol and low in saturated fat.
All pulses are high in fiber and rich in nutrients such as iron, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins. A cup of cooked lentils has 16 grams of fiber – more than half the recommended daily amount of fiber that the average adult needs.
In 2020, a systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that adults who were assigned to eat an average of about a half-cup of cooked beans, peas or lentils daily had striking improvements in their cardiovascular, gut and metabolic health. They lost weight, shrank their waistlines and lowered their cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They also had reductions in inflammation and positive changes in their gut microbiomes.
Beans, peas and lentils contain a special type of fiber called resistant starch, which gets its name because it resists digestion in the small intestine. Resistant starch travels down to the large intestine, where it’s metabolized by gut bacteria that convert it into health-promoting compounds such as short-chain fatty acids.
The authors of the review also looked into potential downsides. Although beans have a reputation for causing flatulence (gas), the researchers found that cases of gastrointestinal discomfort were fairly rare and not severe.
If you are concerned about gastrointestinal issues, though, one of the best things you can do is to gradually increase the amount of beans, peas and lentils in your diet. This will give your body time to adjust and as your tolerance rises, any initial increase in flatulence should dissipate, said Chris Damman, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center at the University of Washington Medical Center
Better For Your Budget
Damman said that when people ask him what they should eat to improve their health, he recommends beans, peas and lentils “above all other foods,” for both their nutrient content and their low cost.
“They’re a superfood,” he said. “They’re healthy, but they’re also affordable – and that’s really important right now with inflation and today’s economy.”
Studies have found that pulses are among the lowest-cost sources of protein. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, a pound of dried beans on average costs about $1.70, compared with about $6 for a pound of ground beef, roughly $4.20 for a pound of chicken breast and at least $4.60 for a dozen large eggs.