How can beans improve your child’s health?

When my kids were very little, 8 or 9 months old, canned beans were one of the first foods I introduced to them. They were convenient, ready to serve with just a little rinse, and they could eat one bean at a time by themselves. Little did they know what a wonderful powerhouse of nutrition they were getting!

As a pediatric dietitian, I know if you have a baby, toddler, child or teen, beans are an affordable, convenient, and nutrient-packed option to offer them. Beans could be living in your pantry right now!

In this article, you’ll learn why beans are so important for kids’ health, the different types of beans, where they come from, and why your child should be eating them. 

Let’s begin!

Types of Beans for Kids

There are many types of beans available in the marketplace. Whether you choose canned beans or a bag of dried beans, they hold a lot of nutritional benefits for anyone who eats them.

Here are some of the most common types of beans you’ll find in the grocery store:

• Black beans
• Pinto beans
• Cannellini beans
• Kidney beans
• Lima beans
• Garbanzo beans (also known as Chickpeas)
• Soy beans
• Black-eyed peas
• Great Northern beans
• Navy beans
• Edamame (young soybeans)
• Soybeans
• Fava beans

Where Do Beans Come From?

Beans grow in pods on vines, or on low bushes. Within the pods are the seeds (beans). They are harvested in the mid-summer to early fall season. When they’re harvested, they are dry and hard. You can purchase dried beans this way – in their natural state.

Dried beans are very affordable (often around a dollar per pound). They need to be soaked in water and cooked to get the tender consistency you’ll find from canned beans.

Canned beans are soaked and ready to eat right out of the can. To reduce their sodium content, you can rinse beans in water first before adding them to recipes or offering them to your child.

(One child of mine used to rinse a can of garbanzo beans and eat them as her after-school snack!)

Different Ways to Serve Beans?

I think all beans are healthy! They’re loaded with nutrients and may meet the needs of a variety of cultural preferences. Here are few types of beans and how you can use them in your meal planning: 

• Black beans are a favorite in Hispanic dishes like beans and rice, burritos, and my personal favorite, a black bean quesadilla.
• Pinto beans are also a favorite of Latin cultures and are the main ingredient in refried beans. I enjoy making pinto beans in the slow cooker or instant pot, and serving them as a side dish, as part of a burrito bowl, or on top of a salad. The instant pot reduces cooking time dramatically.
• Cannelloni beans are a favorite of Italian culture. You’ll find them mixed into tomato sauces and soups like minestrone and pasta e fagioli.
• Garbanzo beans and the Mediterranean diet go hand-in-hand. If your child likes hummus, they’re eating beans! Hummus is a puree of chickpeas with added spices and often a sesame paste called tahini. Black bean dip is a similar idea – a puree of beans with added spices.

Even babies can have beans! (Check out my baby bean bites recipe!)

I think all beans are a great addition to a child’s eating pattern. Whatever your child likes and eats are the best beans for your family.

For my family, chickpeas, pinto, and black beans are served most often, but I’ve used kidney beans in my chili and cannelloni beans in my tomato sauce.

9 Reasons Beans for Kids are a Great Option

There are lots of good reasons to eat beans. Here are the top reasons why beans should be part of every child’s eating plan:

1. Beans Offer A Plant-Based Source of Protein

All beans offer a plant-based source of protein. Per cup, cooked beans offer anywhere from 15 to 18 grams of protein. Soybeans offer about 30 grams of protein per cup! Families following a vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan diets rely on beans as a great protein source.

2. A Steadfast Fiber-Filled Food

A lot of beans are full of fiber. If you’ve got a child who struggles with constipation, beans can help. Because they’re a great source of fiber, they are a natural stool softener!

Per cup, you can count on about 6 to 20 grams of fiber from cooked beans, which makes it easy to match your child’s daily fiber requirement.

3. A Mega Food for Magnesium

Magnesium helps muscles contract and maintains blood pressure. Beans are a high source of magnesium.

For example, you’ll find about 120 milligrams (mg) of magnesium per cup of cooked black beans, which is a third of the daily needs for an adult and half the needs of a child older than nine years.

4. Surprising Source of Choline

Choline is mostly found in animal foods like meat and eggs. So, the fact that you can get choline from beans is a bonus. Choline is involved in brain functioning and growth, so having yet another option, and a plant-based one, is a good thing.

5. A High Potassium Food

Potassium is a nutrient that some kids aren’t getting enough of, mostly because they aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables regularly.

Potassium helps to lower blood pressure, which is a growing problem in children. Beans can help – they are a high potassium food.

6. Naturally Low in Sodium

In their natural state, beans are a low-sodium food. In the process of canning beans, sodium is added to preserve them and increase time on the shelf in the grocery store and at home. The addition of sodium also enhances their flavor.

But, if you rinse canned beans, you can lower the sodium content by 40 percent. And of course, if you hydrate beans and slow cook or pressure cook them on your own, you can control how much salt you add to the bean mixture.

7. Beans are Affordable

Considering their nutrient content, beans are a nutritional bargain for the dinner table. You get a lot of nutrition for your money, especially if you’re watching your budget.

Canned beans are often on sale, too, making it even more sensible to stock up. Personally, I keep bags of dried beans and canned beans in my pantry.

8. Beans are Accessible

Beans are a staple in the diets of many cultures. Look for them in the vegetable aisle or the ethnic foods aisle of your local grocery stores. You may also find them in bodegas and the corner market.

9. Beans Absorb Other Flavors

Beans have a mild, subtle flavor but they take on the flavors of spices, aromatics, and other ingredients with which you cook.

For instance, when I make my pinto beans in the crock pot, I only add some salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. They turn out so creamy and with just a hint of spice (not too hot or spicy).

If you’re looking to add more beans for the entire family (and I think you should!), here’s some recipe inspiration. Check out canned beans.org, and my favorite slow cooker pinto bean recipe.

Resources

• The Nourished Child Blueprint: Learn how to balance all foods, feed well and anticipate eating challenges with children.
• Nutrients for Kids: An Advance Guide for Parents
• Protein: A Guide to Needs, Considerations, and Protein-Rich Foods for Your Child