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Why Are Legumes in the Protein Food Group?

May 25, 2011 | By Lisa Porter
Why Are Legumes in the Protein Food Group?
Photo Credit Black Beans image by Hedgehog from Fotolia.com

The USDA divides foods into several groups, including grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, proteins, oils and empty calories. Dry beans and peas, also known as legumes, fall into both the vegetable and the protein food groups. These vegetables are sources of plant protein and contain many other important nutrients, including dietary fiber, potassium, folate, iron and magnesium.

Protein in Legumes

A 90-g serving of soybeans, or about ½ cup boiled, provides 14.3 g of protein, according to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." A 90-g serving of lentils provides 9 g of protein, and the same size serving of navy beans provides 7.9 g of protein. A 90-g serving of black beans, baby lima beans, lima beans, chickpeas, kidney beans or pinto beans provides 7.0 to 7.7 g of protein.

Counting Legumes as Vegetables or Proteins

You can count a serving of legumes as either a vegetable or a protein to fulfill USDA dietary recommendations outlined at MyPyramid.gov. People who typically eat meat, poultry and fish as their protein sources can count legumes as vegetables, and vegetarians who seldom eat animal-based proteins can count legumes as protein. If your daily intake of meat, poultry, fish, nuts, eggs and seeds allows you to meet or exceed recommended protein intake, count your legume intake toward your vegetable needs. If your daily intake of other protein sources does not allow you to meet USDA protein intake recommendations, count the number of legume servings needed to meet those recommendations as proteins. Any additional servings of legumes can count toward your vegetable intake.

Daily Protein Intake

Women ages 19 to 30 and men ages 51 and over should consume 5½-oz. equivalents of protein per day. Women ages 31 and over should consume 5-oz. equivalents; men ages 19 to 30, 6½-oz. equivalents; and men ages 31 to 50, 6-oz. equivalents, according to MyPyramid.gov. You can get a 1-oz. equivalent of protein from 1 oz. of meat, fish or poultry, ¼ cup of dry beans, ½ ounce of nuts or seeds, or one whole egg.

Daily and Weekly Vegetable Intake

Women ages 19 to 50 and men ages 51 and over should eat 2½ cups of vegetables per day, and men ages 19 to 50 should eat 3 cups of vegetables per day, according to MyPyramid.gov. Women ages 51 and over need only 2 cups of vegetables per day. Legumes should account for only part of your weekly vegetable intake. Women ages 19 to 50 and men ages 19 and over should eat 3 cups of dry beans and peas each week, and women ages 51 and over should eat 2½ cups each week. Your diet should also include plenty of other vegetables, including dark green vegetables, orange vegetables and starchy vegetables.

References

Article reviewed by J.A. Rist Last updated on: May 25, 2011

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