Did you know that eating beans is beneficial for health and weight loss?
Turns out beans and other legumes like lentils are an incredible food. They have pretty much everything you need to lose weight and restore health; plus they’re inexpensive and easy to prepare. They provide an excellent source of protein and fiber, as well as a variety of micronutrients and phytochemicals.
According to research by Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest (affiliate link), beans are one of the foods most associated with longevity.
Eating beans and other legumes is also associated with a slimmer waistline and can help lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.
Beans for Weight Loss
If you are interested in dropping pounds or just maintaining a healthy weight, beans and legumes are one of the best foods you can add to your diet. Good news for Weight Watchers!
A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people who ate beans regularly had a 22% lower risk of obesity and were more likely to have a smaller waist than people who didn't eat beans.
One possible explanation for this is that beans are high in soluble fiber, which slows digestion and makes you feel full longer. People who eat beans and other legumes are less hungry compared with people who eat low-fiber foods with the same amount of calories. Legume eaters also tend to consume fewer calories later in the day. Talk about a WIN-WIN!
How Many Points are Beans on Weight Watchers?
A ½-cup serving of most beans without added sugars have 3 SmartPoints on the myWW Green Plan. They are considered a ZeroPoints foods on the Blue and Purple Plans.
Favorite WW Bean Recipes for Health & Weight Loss
Wanting to eat more beans but not sure where to begin? Here are some of our favorite easy tasty WW friendly bean recipes that are sure to please. You'll find a huge selection of appetizers, dips, soups, stews, chilis, salads, skillets and even dessert using a wide variety of beans including black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, white beans and lentils. Enjoy!
Favorite Easy Healthy WW Friendly Black Bean Recipes
Appetizers, Dips, Nachos, Salads, Soups, Burgers Main Dishes, Desserts and More Featuring Black Beans, All with WW Freestyle SmartPoints:
Favorite Easy Healthy WW Friendly Pinto Bean Recipes
Appetizers, Dips, Nachos, Salads, Soups, Burgers Main Dishes, and More Featuring Pinto Beans, All with WW Freestyle SmartPoints:
Favorite Easy Healthy WW Friendly White Bean Recipes
Soups, Salads, Stove Top and Slow Cooker Main Dishes, and More Featuring White Beans (AKA Great Northern or Canneliini Beans, All with WW Freestyle SmartPoints:
Favorite Easy Healthy WW Friendly Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) Recipes
Dips, Salads, Soups, Main Dishes, and More Featuring Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), All with WW Freestyle SmartPoints:
Favorite Easy Healthy WW Friendly Lentil Recipes
Soups, Stews, Chilis, Skillets Dinners, and More Featuring Lentils, All with WW Freestyle SmartPoints:
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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