Legumes

Question
Hi there, I hope you don't mind a non-weight-loss question, but you seem to be the only trained dietitian here so I hope you are willing to help! My family eats a lot of legumes, mostly chickpeas and black beans because I already know lots of recipes for those that my kids like, but I am wondering if there is enough nutritional difference between the various kinds of beans that I should be branching out and serving more different kinds - maybe lima beans, kidney beans etc? Or are they basically all the same nutritionally anyway? Thanks so much! - Jennifer

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

Great question! It appears at first glance that all beans are equally good sources of iron, fiber, and minerals so you might not need variety.  But the same is true of many fruits and vegetables until we discover some new phytonutrient.  All of a sudden one day blueberries are super, or tomatoes have something no other food has so much of!

I would suggest using any type of bean you can find to substitute in recipes: try black-eyed peas, red kidney beans, pinto beans and navy beans.  Your family might find some new favorites, and you'll never be left out of the loop when some amazing nutrients are discovered in high concentration in one kind of bean!

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