Love Those Legumes

Quick Win

Nutritious, versatile beans, lentils and other legumes play a leading role in the Mediterranean diet. Incorporate them into your weekly menu, starting now!

Try This Today

• Soups and salads. Include beans, chickpeas or lentils in soups (try our Vegetable & Bean Soup). Add legumes to salads for protein, fiber and texture — or make them the main event, as in our Composed Bean Salad.
• Bowls. From grain bowls to noodle bowls, these trendy, nutritious dishes are everywhere — and legumes fit right it. Try our Rainbow Buddha Bowl, featuring lentils and an array of veggies, or our Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl. 
• Spreads. Mash or blend rinsed beans or lentils with a little olive oil and garlic to make a hummus-like spread — or combine with avocado for our Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap. 

Why

Regularly consuming beans and lentils may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to a 2021 review of studies in Nutrients. And what’s good for the heart is good for the brain, notes the Global Council on Brain Health in its 2020 report “The Brain-Heart Connection.” A review of studies, published in 2021 in the Journal of Internal Medicine, found strong evidence that legume-rich Mediterranean-style eating may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and help protect cognitive function, among other benefits.