No other food offers the nutritional power of beans. Here’s how to put beans on your table.
It’s true, good things come in small packages: A single cup of cooked beans provides 8 to 20 grams of fiber, up to 18 grams of protein, and almost no fat. That same cup makes up 15 percent of your daily recommended complex carbohydrates—the building blocks of muscle and brain tissue.
Beans are loaded with vitamins and minerals key to your health, including calcium, vitamin B and folate. Plus, they’re inexpensive, convenient and at your local grocery store. 
You can create a delicious bean entrée to feed a family of four for less than one dollar a serving. Add beans to salads, soups, and tortilla roll-ups for lunch, and rice dishes, stir-fries and casseroles for dinner.
Canned or Dry?
While many serious cooks prefer the flavor of dried beans, soaked over night, you can’t beat the convenience of canned beans. Drain and rinse them to reduce the sodium content before use.
Dried beans offer longer storage life. You can keep them right on your shelf. But use or replace your supply every fall, when the new harvest hits store shelves. Old beans take longer to cook and lose flavor over time.
Dealing with Naysayers
If the unsocial aspects of beans have your dinner mates running from the table, hand them a supplement before they eat. 
And remind them of all the reasons why beans are an important part of a healthy diet: Beans help lower cholesterol by increasing your soluble fiber; promote a healthier digestive tract with insoluble fiber; balance your blood sugar with complex carbohydrates; and are a natural source of calcium and potassium.
