Demystifying the Food Category: Where Do Beans Belong?

Making smart food choices is an important part of healthy aging. Knowing the different food groups and how much of each you should eat can help you stick to a healthy eating plan over time. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (PDF, 30 pages), this article talks about the main food groups and other important nutrients that older people should eat. 6M). We also provide suggestions for how to fit occasional treats into your healthy eating pattern.

It is important to eat enough of each food group without going over the number of calories your body needs each day. Don’t forget that the right amount of food to keep your weight stable depends on your age, sex, and how active you are.

If the daily amounts are given in cups or ounces, they might not actually be cups or ounces of the food you are eating. This is because some foods are denser than others, and some have more air or contain more water. In the vegetable food group, for example, 1/2 cup of cooked spinach and 1 cup of raw spinach are both equal to 1 cup because they have the same amount of nutrients. You can figure out how much of each food group you should eat by comparing cups and ounces.

Vegetables come in a wide variety of colors, flavors, and textures. They contain vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, and are an important source of fiber. Dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, and legumes (beans and peas) are all in the vegetable food group.

Dark green vegetables include broccoli, collard greens, spinach, and kale. Red and orange vegetables include acorn squash, carrots, pumpkin, tomato, and sweet potato. Starchy vegetables include corn, green peas, and white potatoes. Other vegetables include eggplant, beets, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, celery, artichokes, green beans, and onions. Legumes include black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, soybeans, and tofu. Legumes can also be counted in the protein foods group.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body cannot digest. It is found in many foods that come from plants, including vegetables, beans, and peas. Eating fiber-rich vegetables can help prevent stomach or intestinal problems and lower cholesterol.

Fruits bring color, flavor, and important nutrients to your diet. You can pick from citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, berries of all kinds, fruits that grow on trees like apricots, cherries, peaches, and mangoes, and other fruits like figs, grapes, and pineapples.

According to the Dietary Guidelines (PDF, 30. 6M), older Americans generally do not eat enough fruit. Adding more fruit to your diet can have significant benefits for overall health. Fruits, like vegetables, contain carbohydrates and provide extra fiber that helps keep your digestive system moving. For even more fiber, eat fruits with the skin still on. Just make sure to wash all of them well before you eat them. Fruit juice also counts toward this category, but at least half of the fruits you eat should be whole ones. When purchasing frozen, canned, or dried fruit, choose options that are lowest in added sugars.

Do you wonder how many vegetables and fruits you should eat at a meal? Look at your plate. Vegetables and fruits should fill up one-half of the dish.

Any food made from wheat, rye, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or other cereal grain is a grain product. This includes bread and pasta, breakfast cereal, grits, tortillas, and even popcorn. Grains — along with fruits, vegetables, and dairy — contain carbohydrates, the body’s main source of energy.

Read food labels to find grain choices that are low in saturated fat and added sugar. Be especially wary of options labeled “low-fat,” which can be high in added sugar.

At least half the grain foods you eat should be whole grains. Whole grains provide iron and many B vitamins, and they have fiber, too. Whole grains are things like whole wheat, whole oats, whole bulgur (also called cracked wheat), and whole cornmeal.

Some grain products are refined, which makes them smoother and keeps them fresh longer but takes away the fiber and nutrients. Most refined grains are enriched, which means that some nutrients are added back after processing. Examples of refined grain products include white flour, degermed cornmeal, white bread, and white rice.

Proteins are often called the body’s building blocks. They are used to build and repair tissues, and also help your body fight infection. Your body uses extra protein for energy. Older adults should try to eat a variety of nutrient-dense proteins. Choose lean (low-fat) meats and poultry. Keep in mind that you can also get protein from seafood, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy products. Protein that comes from plants usually has less saturated fat, no cholesterol, and more fiber and other good for you nutrients. Alternatives to meat that are made from plants, like nuts and seeds, are not as healthy as plant-based meat alternatives, which can be highly processed and high in sodium.

The Dietary Guidelines (PDF, 30. You should eat 8 to 10 ounces of different kinds of seafood every week, not only because it’s high in protein but also because it has heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA. Seafoods that are higher in EPA and DHA include salmon, anchovies, and trout. These seafoods are also lower in mercury, which can be harmful, than other types of seafood.

Oils & solid fats

Oils are high in calories, but they are also an important source of nutrients like vitamin E. For older adults, the daily allowance of oils ranges from 5 to 8 teaspoons, depending on activity level. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are found in oils. These are good fats that give you energy and help your body absorb some vitamins.

It can be hard to figure out how much oil you use every day. It’s one thing to know what you add when you cook or bake, but some foods already have oil in them.

Teaspoons of oil:

• 1/2 medium avocado has 3 teaspoons of oil
• 4 large ripe olives have 1/2 teaspoon of oil
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter has 2 teaspoons of oil

See more oil equivalents.

Use oils instead of solid fats like butter or lard most of the time. Solid fats are high in saturated fat. Some foods already have saturated fats in them, but foods like baked goods and potato chips also have them added. To cut down on saturated fat, choose meat cuts with less fat, eat dairy products with less fat or none at all, and take the skin off of chicken. Reading the Nutrition Facts label can help you keep track of how much saturated fat you consume.

Limit the consumption of foods high in added sugar, which include sweetened cereals, highly processed snack foods such as cookies and cakes, dairy desserts, and many items marketed as low-fat. Read the ingredient list to see if the food you are eating has added sugar. Some key words to look for: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, and high-fructose corn syrup.

Although many beverages can be part of a healthy eating pattern, some add calories without adding nutritional value and you should avoid them. Beverages that are calorie-free — especially water — or that contribute beneficial nutrients, such as fat-free and low-fat milk and 100% juice, should be the primary beverages you consume.

Coffee and tea. Coffee or tea doesn’t have many calories unless you add sugar or cream, which aren’t very healthy and should only be eaten in small amounts. Be cautious when ordering drinks from coffee shops because these are often loaded with extra sugars and fats.

Sweetened beverages. Soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened waters are all drinks that often have extra sugar added to them. Most sugary drinks don’t help you meet your food group goals, and they usually have a lot of calories.

Alcohol. Alcohol is not nutrient-dense and is not part of the healthy eating patterns recommended in the Dietary Guidelines. Moderation means having no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men if you drink alcohol.

Calories from sugars, saturated fats, and drinks can add up quickly. As these foods provide no nutritional benefit, they should only be consumed on occasion and in limited amounts.

Tip: Vegetables or protein

Do you not know if to count beans and peas as protein foods or vegetables? If you usually eat meat, poultry, and fish, count them as vegetables. You can count them as proteins if you are a vegan or vegetarian or if you don’t eat much meat, poultry, or fish.

Dairy helps older people keep their bones strong and gives them many important nutrients, such as calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. For your heart health, pick from the many low-fat or fat-free choices in the dairy group. These give you important vitamins and minerals, with less fat. Certain fortified dairy alternatives can provide similar nutritional content to dairy.

1 cup-equivalent of dairy equals:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 3/4 of an ounce of hard cheese, like Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, or Swiss
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup milk or calcium-fortified soy beverage
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 cup pudding made with milk

For individuals who choose dairy alternatives, fortified soy milk and yogurt — which have calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D added — are included as part of the dairy group and have nutritional content similar to dairy.

Some plant-based milks, like almond, rice, coconut, oat, and hemp milks, may have calcium, but they don’t always have the vitamins and minerals that dairy milk does. Watch out for dairy alternatives that have added sugars. Reading the label can help you choose options that aren’t sweetened or have less sugar.

See more foods in the dairy group.

Some foods are not in any of the main food groups. These include healthy fats, sugars, and calories from drinks, which you should only eat once in a while, and oils, which you can eat every day as part of a healthy diet. There is no recommended daily intake amount in cups or ounces for these products. Limiting the calories you consume from this category can help keep your healthy eating habits on track.

What Is The #1 Healthiest Bean?

FAQ

Are beans a protein or carbohydrate?

What class do beans belong to?

What food classes are in beans?

What are beans in category?

What are the different types of beans?

If you’re looking to try something new, consider experimenting with different bean varieties. Here are some options to consider: Butter beans, which have a buttery texture and delicate flavor. Cannellini beans, which have a nutty flavor and are commonly used in Italian cuisine. Lima beans, which have a slightly sweet flavor and a starchy texture.

What type of beans should one eat?

The most healthy beans are chickpeas, lentils, peas, kidney beans, black beans, soybeans, pinto beans, and navy beans. They contain a lot of fiber and proteins.

Are beans considered vegetables?

In the culinary context, beans are indeed classified as vegetables due to their plant origin and nutrient content, despite their rich protein profile that often places them in a unique category. Below, we explore some of the most common bean varieties and provide insights into their taste profiles and recommended uses.

Are beans legumes?

In the broadest sense, beans are the pod-borne seeds of leguminous plants — excluding lentils, lupins, peanuts, and certain other types of legumes. Beans have been cultivated for thousands of years. Today, they’re an important food source worldwide. Black, kidney, navy, fava, and pinto beans are common in the United States ( 1 ).