Beans Gain Official Recognition as Protein Source, Backed by Nutrition Studies
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The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has recommended emphasizing beans, peas, and lentils while reducing red and processed meat consumption. This follows a Trump administration move that officially categorized beans, peas, and lentils as a protein source. Nutrition studies highlight beans as a low-cost, nutritious protein that provides satiety comparable to beef.
Facts First
- Beans, peas, and lentils are now officially categorized as a protein source in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommends emphasizing these foods while reducing red and processed meat.
- Studies show beans provide satiety comparable to beef and are a low-cost, nutritious protein source.
- Industry group USA Pulses aims to double American production and consumption of pulses by 2030.
- Only 7.4% of American adults meet the recommended daily amount of fiber, a nutrient beans are rich in.
What Happened
The Trump administration moved beans, peas, and lentils from the vegetable category to the protein category in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in January. Subsequently, the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended emphasizing beans, peas, and lentils while reducing red and processed meat consumption. This official recognition is supported by studies, including one in The Journal of Nutrition that found beans can be a low-cost, nutritious protein source providing satiety comparable to beef.
Why this Matters to You
This shift in dietary guidance may affect your meal planning and grocery budget. Beans are a low-cost protein; one can, which contains about 3.5 servings, can cost less than $1. Incorporating beans could help you meet the U.S. Agriculture Department's recommended three to four daily protein servings for a 2,000-calorie diet, as one-half cup constitutes a serving. For the vast majority of Americans who do not meet the recommended daily fiber intake, beans offer a significant nutritional benefit. While the complex sugar raffinose in beans can cause gas, their affordability and nutritional profile may make them a more prominent part of your diet.
What's Next
The industry group USA Pulses aims to double American production and consumption of pulses by 2030, aligning with a United Nations campaign launched in 2015 to double global pulse consumption by 2028. This goal suggests beans, lentils, and chickpeas could become more widely available and promoted. The final 2025 Dietary Guidelines... are likely to further cement beans' status as a recommended protein source, potentially influencing public health messaging and food programs.