Can You Eat Beans Every Day?

“Beans are a very nutrient-dense food. You’re getting a lot of bang for your buck — fiber, phytonutrients, micronutrients,” says Michelle Routhenstein, RD, CDCES, a preventive cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourished.

Potential Health Benefits of Eating Beans Every Day

• 153 calories
• 8.9 g protein
• 26 g carbohydrates
• 8.7 g fiber
• 1.7 g fat

They also contain substantial amounts of the B vitamin folate, as well as modest amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

That combination of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants explains why beans are associated with a range of health benefits.

Beans May Support Heart Health

“Beans can be a great heart-healthy addition into your diet,” Routhenstein says. “They contain soluble fiber to help support healthy cholesterol levels, along with being rich in magnesium and potassium, which help support healthy blood pressure and blood vessel function.”

Beans May Help With Blood Sugar Management

Thanks to their special combination of fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates, beans have long been associated with better blood sugar control, a benefit that’s particularly important for people with diabetes or prediabetes.

“People will see improvement in blood sugar because of that fiber component and the protein component. It typically will fill you up a little bit more at meals, and as a result, your blood sugars don't spike as high,” says Jennifer Rawlings, RD, CDCES, a nutrition coach based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Beans May Boost Gut Health

Beans Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Weight

One reason beans may support weight management is their effect on hunger.

“Beans keep us feeling fuller, longer, so we’re less likely to snack or have cravings show up between meals,” Rawlings says. “That supports weight maintenance and weight loss.”

Is It Safe to Eat Beans Every Day?

The childhood song that dubbed beans the "musical fruit" gave them a reputation for causing gas. While beans can lead to some digestive changes at first, most people become more tolerant of them as they gradually increase their intake.

“A lot of times my patients are like, ‘Oh, I'm going to have beans and I'm going to get all this gas and I'm never going to eat beans again,’” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, RDN, of the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine. “The body will begin to recognize them, and there will be less gas and less bloating.”

For most people, eating beans every day is a perfectly healthy choice. But if you have certain digestive disorders or advanced kidney disease, it's worth checking with your healthcare provider or dietitian before making beans a daily habit.

• If you follow a low-FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome or other gut disorders, you may want to consult your doctor or dietitian before making them a regular staple of your diet.

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• When you have an irritable bowel disease like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, beans can cause distress during a flare.

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• The potassium and phosphorus in beans can pose problems for people on dialysis for kidney disease and those with a history of kidney stones.

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6 Tips for Adding Beans to Your Daily Diet

You probably already know how easy it is to add beans to soups, stews, and salads. These expert ideas can help you get more creative.

1. Sneak them in. Next time you grill up some burgers, mash cooked lentils or black beans and swap them for half the ground beef.
2. Add a protein-fiber boost to baked goods. Puree a can of white beans and add them to your pancake or blondie batter. Do the same with black beans and brownies. You can also use pureed chickpeas as a base for cookie dough.
3. Play with texture. Think you don’t like beans? It may be just a matter of texture. “Try different forms,” Kirkpatrick says. “Take chickpeas and roast them or make them into hummus.”
4. Make dairy-free cream sauce. White beans — think cannellini, great northern, navy, or butter — puree into a creamy consistency. Simmered with aromatics, seasoning, and vegetable broth, it makes a nutrient-dense, dairy-free sauce.
5. Try dessert hummus. Blend canned chickpeas with nut butter or tahini, cocoa or cinnamon, a little maple syrup, and a splash of vanilla extract, and serve with fruit for dipping.
6. Slip some into a smoothie. The mild flavor of white beans practically disappears when you add some to a blender full of fruit and milk or yogurt.