Beans are inexpensive, versatile and packed with a wealth of different nutrients. Adding beans to your diet is as simple as adding a can to your favorite soup recipe or serving them as a side dish with tacos or enchiladas. Add black beans to a burrito or stir some Lima beans into your favorite pasta salad. Black beans and Lima beans are two nutritional all-stars that supply many vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients. However you decide to include black and lima beans in your diet, you will be getting numerous health benefits.
Fiber
One of the reasons beans should have a starring role in your weekly menu is because they are one of the most nutritious sources of fiber you can eat. Black and Lima beans are low in fat, but pack a large amount of fiber into just one serving. The U.S. Dry Bean Council notes that adding beans to your weight loss diet may enable you to shed pounds by filling you up for just a small amount of food, which helps you consume fewer calories throughout the day. Linda Page, author of "Cooking for Healthy Healing," adds that the fiber in beans may lower your risk of colon cancer. A cup of black beans supplies 15 g of fiber and a cup of lima beans contains about 13 g.
Protein
Another reason that black and Lima beans are such a nutritious addition to your diet is because they contain large amounts of protein. Many high-protein foods, such as red meat, are high in saturated fat, but beans are saturated fat-free. Adding beans to your daily diet is an effective way to increase your overall intake of protein without consuming unhealthy amounts of fat and calories. Lean protein sources help give you energy and promote healthy muscle development, which makes physical activity an easier part of your diet. A 1-cup serving of black beans contains 15 g of protein and the same serving of Lima beans supplies 14 g.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates may have received a bad reputation as being detrimental to weight loss efforts, but healthy sources can actually have the opposite effect. The U.S. Dry Bean Council notes that healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as black and lima beans, are a vital source of energy, which you need to burn enough calories to shed pounds. Black and Lima beans also contain resistant starches, which the council adds as being essential for managing your weight.
Minerals
Black and Lima beans contain a wealth of minerals that play an important role in successfully reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. Both types of beans supply a healthy amount of manganese, which is a nutrient that you need to make proper use of the protein, fat and carbohydrates. Black and Lima beans may also play a role in helping you manage your blood sugar levels. The minerals in these two types of beans also support a healthy body. The iron helps transport plenty of oxygen throughout your body and the selenium helps reduce inflammation. Magnesium and potassium contribute to heart health and zinc helps your enzymes carry out their various functions properly.
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