Legumes

The entire legume and bean family - soy beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, alfalfa, peas, lupins, lentils, mesquite, clover, broad beans, cranberries, among several others - has seen its popularity snowball to heretofore unseen levels, especially among the growing number of people seeking meat substitutes. Legumes and beans are chock full of plant protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, folate, phosphorus and calcium, while being remarkably low in saturated fat and calories. The body uses carbohydrates in legumes in an unusually slower manner - so they provide gradual and steady energy to the body, nervous system and brain. Introducing legumes into your diet can help you lower your blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate and other heart and diabetes risks.

Once the bit part player on dinner plates, playing the role of food meant to be barely tolerated, or scarfed down in the name of healthfulness, the humble bean is having a moment. Legume consumption has seen a 73% increase in the US over the past five years to a combined 14.5 pounds per capita (US Department of Agriculture, 2020). Legumes, with their high protein content, started squeezing their way on to menus around 2010 and by the end of 2016, the number of meat free options, with legumes as their primary ingredient, saw an increase of 77% over that period. Venerated chefs around the world are also contributing to legumes' popularity - with chefs like Joe Yonan of The Washington Post fame, dedicating a whole cookbook to legumes and beans. The era of the bean is unlikely to change the public’s perception toward legumes indefinitely, but legumes sure are having a well-deserved moment to bask in the spotlight.