Ask A Nutritionist: Which Bean Is Best For Us?

I am obsessed with fibre (nice to meet you, by the way). 

The carbohydrate has, after all, been linked to better heart health and a decreased risk of dementia and bowel cancer. Sadly, 90% of us don’t get the recommended 30g a day needed to reap fibre’s benefits. 

As a part of my “fibremaxxing” quest, I’ve been enjoying loads of bean-based meals. Seems I’m not alone, either: celeb chefs like Jamie Oliver have taken part in the Bang In Some Beans campaign, which urged customers to add more legumes to their meals.

The Food Foundation found that in order to meet the Eat-Lancet’s planetary health diet, the UK’s overall bean consumption would need to increase sevenfold.

Which begs the question: which bean is best in the biz? Does canned beat jarred? Like spuds and pasta, are they better for us when cooled?

Here’s what BANT-registered nutritionist, Hannah Alderson, told us.

Which bean variety is best for us?

Good news, legume lovers: “The truth is that the best beans are any and all beans,” Alderson said.

“From butter beans to cannellini beans, they’re collectively very rich in fibre, protein and starch, and they also provide key minerals and naturally occurring phytoestrogens. Because beans offer a combined carbohydrate–protein source, they can be particularly supportive for blood sugar balance.” 

Their high fibre content can help to keep our gut healthy and may even help to control cholesterol levels, she added.

“We also know from studies that regular consumption of beans and other legumes is associated with improved metabolic and cardiovascular health.”

Additionally, beans might help with something called the “oestrobolome”, or “the collection of gut bacteria involved in oestrogen metabolism”.

“Adequate fibre intake helps the body excrete excess oestrogen rather than reabsorbing it, which is especially relevant for symptoms linked to oestrogen dominance,” the nutritionist added.

This way, Alderson shared, beans and other fibre-rich foods can “support more efficient oestrogen clearance, which can positively influence menstrual health, PMS, perimenopausal symptoms and overall hormonal balance”.

Are jarred or tinned beans healthier? 

Alderson told us she recommends most of her clients to include more legumes in their diets. 

“When it comes to canned beans, I always say that canned is better than no beans at all,” she told HuffPost UK. 

“The main issue with cans is the BPA lining found in some tins,” which some people think could have negative health impacts.

“That said, many brands now offer BPA-free options. Canned beans are affordable, convenient, and make it much easier to maintain a consistent intake.”

Still, the nutritionist advised, glass jars are the “gold standard”.

Are cooked and cooled or hot beans better for us? 

Starchy foods like potatoes and pasta are better for us when cooked and cooled (and even reheated after cooling), than they are when first cooked. 

That’s because resistant starches, which cannot be digested by your body and which have been linked to better blood sugar management and gut health, increase in cooked starchy foods once cooled. 

Of course, you need to cook beans in order for them to be edible. But should we wait for them to cool after that to enjoy even more gut-healthy resistant starches? 

“Beans naturally contain resistant starch, but cooking and cooling them increases this further, which is particularly beneficial for gut bacteria,” Alderson said. 

In short, cooked and cooled jarred beans might be the most “healthmaxxed” version of an already very healthy food: but honestly, the nutritionist said, the best bean is the one you’ll eat. 

“They really are an all-rounder, and something I encourage all my clients to either introduce or increase in their diets,” she ended.