How are you getting along with your New Year’s Resolutions?

We know it’s easy to make resolutions, but it’s the follow-through that is always a challenge. A lot of people vow to start eating healthier and working out, hoping to lose weight and get in better shape.

If you are one of these people and are having a hard time getting started or following through, might we suggest a little addition to your diet that can help you lose weight and feel better? You can’t go wrong with beans!

Beans are the perfect food to add to any diet to help you stick to new year’s weight-loss goals. Here’s why.

 

Beans are a healthy “Super Food”

It’s no secret that beans are an excellent source of protein. Beans are often used as a substitute for meat, making them an ideal protein source for vegetarian and vegan dishes. Aside from just being an equal source of protein, beans edge out meat in other ways making them the healthier protein source.

Beans are equally high in fiber, cholesterol free and only an incredibly small fraction of the fat of chicken, pork or beef. They also provide a great source of vitamins and minerals that help keep both the body and mind strong, putting them alongside other Super Foods like quinoa and avocado as one of the healthiest of healthy foods.

Not only that, but beans provide the same amount of protein and nutrients in meat but in a smaller serving, so you can eat less and get just as much! Replacing meat with beans or simply adding beans to the recipes you know and love is a great first step to losing weight.

 

A little goes a long way

Another thing that makes beans great for weight loss is their healthy calorie density. Ok, quick science lesson: Calories get a bad rap, but they are an essential nutrient and there is such a thing as healthy calories. It’s when we eat more calories than our body can burn off is when calories cause weight gain. Ok, science lesson over.

While calories are present in animal meat and beans, animal meat typically has a higher calorie density. That means even if you eat the same amount of beans and meat, you’ll consume more calories from the meat. Beans have a calorie to weight ratio that will fill you up without oversaturating your body with too many calories and fat.

So, a smaller serving of beans will fill you up with lots of vitamins and nutrients, like calories, without overstuffing you and contributing to weight gain.

 

Beans go great with everything

Ok, so finding healthy food to help with weight loss isn’t all that hard but sticking with making it a regular part of your diet can be the tricky part. Eating the same healthy food over and over can get a little mundane and boring… but not beans.

What makes beans a great weight-loss food is the combination of their high nutritional value coupled with its versatility in use. You don’t just have to eat your beans in a salad. There are healthy soups, stews, chili, casserole, by themselves or however you want to use them.

Not to mention the many different kinds of beans each with their own different, distinct and delicious flavors and qualities. Great northern beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, the list goes on and on. When you look to beans as you weight-loss resource, you will never get bored.

Stick with your new year’s weight loss goals! You can do it! All you need is a little help and inspiration. Here are some amazingly delicious and healthy bean recipes to get you started!

 

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