A new analysis highlights one of the simplest ways to improve overall nutrition: add more beans to the plate.
Researchers analyzed national dietary data and found that adults who replace other protein foods with canned beans can significantly increase their intake of important nutrients while improving overall diet quality. The study, published in the Medical Research Archives, found that canned bean consumers had higher levels of fiber, folate, magnesium and potassium, nutrients most Americans fall short on, without increasing calories or fat.
Using national data from U.S. adults, researchers modeled what would happen if protein sources such as meat or processed foods were swapped for canned beans. The results showed notable improvements in shortfall nutrients and overall diet scores.
Canned beans also make those benefits accessible: they’re affordable, shelf-stable and easy to incorporate into meals.
“Replacing protein foods for canned beans increases shortfall nutrient intakes and improves diet quality in adults,” the authors concluded.
Nutrition experts have long recognized beans as a cornerstone of healthy eating patterns, and the findings add to a growing body of research supporting both fresh and canned forms. The study’s authors note that canned beans deliver similar nutrients to their dried counterparts but with the convenience that helps people eat them more often.
Because the research was funded by the bean industry, the findings should be viewed as part of a broader evidence base, not definitive proof. Still, the results reinforce public health advice that encourages beans as a low-cost, nutrient-dense source of plant protein, a simple addition that could help close widespread nutrient gaps in the American diet.
This research was funded by Cannedbeans.org on behalf of Bush Brothers & Company and the Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses. The study was conducted by The Ginger Network, LLC, an independent nutrition consulting firm.