When working towards Lose weightsaving time to create a healthy and balanced diet for yourself is as important as making time to exercise. With that said, we reached out to registered dietitians, nutritionists, personal trainers, and other health experts to learn more about a type of bean they recommend to support your weight loss journey with your high protein and fiber content, and low calorie count. Read on for tips, advice, and insights from Jesse FederRDN, CPT, Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist and Personal Trainer at My Crohns and Colitis Team, sad betterMPH, RD, LD, Registered Dietitian at Balance One Supplements, and Jenny Hackworthcertified personal trainer, transformation specialist, nutritionist and CEO of White Lotus Yoga.
How Black Beans Promote Healthy Weight Loss
Whether you’re following a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or any kind of diet, for that matter, Best explains how adding black beans can provide more of the nutrients needed to power you through the day. These beans, he says, “pack a ton of nutrients into any meal, which is helpful when you’re working to get the right amount of protein on a plant-based diet and also slashing your grocery budget.” She adds that “the fiber content of these beans will keep you full and satisfied long after a meal and is beneficial for feeding the good bacteria in your gut, binding and removing toxins and waste from your body, and even helps lower cholesterol and body weight.”
Feder agrees, saying that “in my opinion, the healthiest protein-rich bean option that can support weight loss is black beans.” Black beans have one of the highest protein contents among beans, Feder notes, and this option is “also one of the lowest” in calories. “Eating foods high in protein, fiber, and low in calories can help preserve lean muscle mass while keeping you satisfied,” she explains. This, Feder emphasizes, “will help you feel fuller longer and want to eat less, which will help you lose weight.” Feder recommends “getting a half cup of black beans into your diet every day” to reap the aforementioned benefits.
Hackworth agrees, noting that when it comes to fiber for weight loss and especially gut health, “black beans are loaded with fiber, which can help with weight management and weight loss.” Because of this fiber content, Hackworth says these beans “may help prevent constipation and promote a healthy digestive tract.” Black beans, he adds, are rich in minerals like “magnesium, iron, calcium and more, which help build and maintain healthy bones and muscles.”
Along with fiber, these beans are also “high in protein,” a macronutrient that Best says is often “missing in the diets of those looking to save money at the grocery store.” These beans are known for their protein content, and “eating them alongside rice is the best way to get all 9 essential amino acids,” says Best. “There are twenty amino acids, nine of which are essential, which means they must be obtained through the diet,” he concludes, adding, “Animal protein sources naturally contain all 20 amino acids and therefore are Complete proteins naturally, but many plant-based sources of protein are not.” Good to know!
