Give beans a place in an ordinary meal.
A mostly plant-based meal can begin with one ingredient you already know how to use.
“Eat more plant-based food” sounds straightforward until you stand in front of the fridge wondering what dinner is.
Start smaller. Pick one bean, lentil or chickpea dish you would actually enjoy eating again.
Give it a job on the plate
Beans can go into a soup, dhal, stew or rice bowl. A tin of chickpeas can be drained and rinsed, then added to vegetables. Cooked lentils can become part of a meal you already make.
Legumes provide protein and fibre. That makes them useful ingredients in a varied eating pattern, rather than a special product you need a new identity to buy.
Keep the whole meal in view
One ingredient does not tell you everything about a meal. Consider what else is on the plate, whether the portion suits your appetite, and whether you enjoyed it enough to make it again.
If beans are unfamiliar, a smaller amount may be a more comfortable starting point. Tolerance varies. There is no prize for forcing a large serving that does not agree with you.
Try this: add a familiar bean dish to one meal this week. Keep the version you like; change the one you do not.
Reading behind this note
WHO: Healthy diet includes pulses among foods that contribute to a varied diet. Health Canada’s food guide includes legumes among protein foods.