Bean diet - recipes for dietary dishes, benefits and harms, opinion of nutritionists

People who constantly monitor their weight limit their diet to the same low-calorie foods. By eating monotonously, they are deprived of many beneficial nutrients. When losing weight, many people forget about beans. For a long time, nutritionists advised excluding it from the menu due to its high calorie content, but recently the opinion about the product has changed radically.

What are the benefits of beans for weight loss?

Still It is not clear whether beans should be classified as protein or carbohydrate products. It contains a large amount of proteins (21 g), which makes it recommended during fasting as a replacement for meat.

On the other hand, beans contain 47 grams of carbohydrates. But these are complex carbohydrates that take a long time to break down in the intestines and create a feeling of fullness.

The glycemic index of beans is 35. After eating it, there are no sudden changes in blood sugar, therefore, the feeling of hunger is dulled.

A group of Canadian scientists have put a lot of effort into rehabilitating legumes.

Beans are a reliable companion for those who want to lose excess weight.

Weight loss averaged 750 grams over 6 weeks. Although the result is not very impressive, however, all participants did not make much effort to lose weight.

Study leader Russell de Souza (Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto) explains this by saying that Beans increase satiety by 31% and help you eat less of other food.

After all, it is the feeling of hunger that makes people quit weight loss programs. Beans are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and reduce the percentage of “bad” cholesterol in the blood.

Canadian researchers also concluded that regular consumption of legumes prevents weight gain, even when calories are not restricted.

They can be a worthy replacement for fats and animal proteins during lunch.

    Beans have a positive effect on weight loss for the following reasons:

    Thanks to the large amount of fiber, digestion is normalized, the gastrointestinal tract is cleansed, and constipation is eliminated;

    The beneficial intestinal microflora is restored;

Beans are a multicomponent product that contains antioxidants, a significant amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber, a lot of protein and complex carbohydrates.

Which beans should you choose?


Boiled beans retain vitamins.

It is unlikely that anyone would think of chewing dry beans, and besides, they have toxic properties. Before eating, they should be soaked for several hours, then boiled without salt until tender.

Cooked beans contain almost the same amount of protein as raw beans. During cooking, it retains many vitamins and nutrients. The beneficial properties of the product depend on the type of legume.

Red beans are especially valuable due to their high antioxidant content, preventing aging of the body and having an anti-cancer effect. It also contains arginine, an amino acid that is necessary for immune protection and the functioning of the nervous system. It improves mood, promotes collagen production, and normalizes metabolic processes.

White beans are the most common product among the population. It contains a lot of fiber, as well as a special substance that blocks the enzyme alpha-amylase. Due to this, starch is not completely broken down, but transits through the intestines. Consequently, a person consumes less carbohydrates and loses weight. These data were published in Nutrition Journal in 2011.

Green beans can be safely recommended as an ideal product for weight loss. They are easier to digest than regular beans and contain minimal calories (30 per 100 grams). The advantages include speed of preparation, high content of vitamins and the presence of carotenoids. The pods are used to prepare salads, soups, add to omelettes, vegetable stews, or serve boiled as a side dish.

Is it possible to gain weight from eating beans? It all depends on the amount of food eaten and how it was prepared.

Fried green beans contain 175 calories, so the dish is not recommended when losing weight.

Canned beans retain all their beneficial properties. The product, which is sold in stores in its own juice, is a ready-made meal containing only 80 calories.

How to use it correctly?


Green bean salad is an excellent option for a small snack, a healthy breakfast or a light, tasty dinner.

Knowing about the positive effect of legumes on metabolic processes, you still shouldn’t make them the main dish of your diet.

To reduce bloating, you need to change the water several times during the soaking process.

When following a low-calorie diet, it is enough to include bean dishes in the menu 3-4 times a week. However, beans are not recommended for people with gastritis, peptic ulcers, gout and heart disease. Beans are an allergenic product, It should not be eaten if you are intolerant to other legumes (peas, soybeans).

Despite all the beneficial properties, the product is considered heavy on the stomach and is not recommended as a main dish in the evening for dinner. To avoid suffering from bloating at night, it is better to eat a portion in the morning or lunch.

What to combine with?


Treat yourself to vegetable stew.

Excellent dietary dishes can be obtained by mixing beans with.

Fans of healthy and proper nutrition know about the high protein content in legumes and dishes containing them. But including beans in your diet when losing weight is useful not only for this reason.

Beans for weight loss

The effect of beans on the body

Beans contain dietary fiber, or fiber. This component has the property of increasing in volume when it enters the human gastrointestinal tract. When eating beans of any kind, satiety occurs faster, which encourages a person on a diet to eat smaller amounts of other foods.

Another beneficial property of fiber is to absorb fats and cholesterol in the intestines, quickly removing them from the body. In combination with the effect of fibers on gastrointestinal motility, this is considered the most important effect in losing weight:

  • on a diet you don’t feel hungry with small portions of food;
  • Normal intestinal fullness does not cause constipation.

Among the beneficial qualities of beans in a diet, their low calorie content is noted: depending on the variety, it is 99-120 kcal per 100 g of product, and for green and asparagus - 25-31 kcal/100 g. The composition of bean grains includes:

  • minerals (sulfur, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, etc.);
  • vitamins A, C, E, PP, K and group B;
  • essential amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan and methionine).

The mineral composition of bean grains affects the body's production of cholecystokinin, a hormone responsible for the breakdown of fats. When eating beans, the production of an enzyme that breaks down starch decreases. As a result, this component of many products is not absorbed by the body and is eliminated from it in a short time.

The effect of beans on the body

Menu and diet on the bean diet

The bean diet involves eating this vegetable with every meal. You can make delicious side dishes from beans and include them in vegetable stews or salads. The grains enrich any type of vegetable soup. Vegetarian cabbage soup or borscht is made using bean broth. Dessert dishes are also prepared from puree, preserving all the properties useful for those on a diet.

Beans go well with the following foods:

  • meat and fish;
  • any vegetables and herbs;
  • fermented milk products;
  • unsweetened fruits or berries;
  • nuts (the combination with walnuts is especially tasty);
  • soy derivatives (raw tofu, fuju, etc.).

The menu during the diet is very diverse, and the dishes are satisfying, but low in calories.

To lose weight, you can choose different types of regime:

  1. A quick 3-day bean diet is used as a fasting diet after overeating. It is balanced and does not harm the body, like many quick ways to lose weight by 3-4 kg. The principle of selecting dishes is to include grains or pods in the main meals in an amount of 100-120 g. Beans replace meat and fish portions, significantly reducing the calorie content of the diet, but without depleting it in protein value. Other components of the diet include vegetables, teas and low-fat fermented milk drinks.
  2. A strict 7-day program helps you get rid of 7-8 kg of excess weight. The disadvantage may seem to be a small selection of dishes: they consist of 100 g of meat or fish and 100-120 g of boiled beans. But this base can be supplemented with salads of greens, tomatoes and cucumbers, and other low-calorie vegetables. Due to the high fiber content in such foods, the feeling of hunger practically does not bring discomfort.
  3. An effective 14-day diet will allow you to lose about 8 kg without any special restrictions or fasting. It is recommended to include in the diet not only grain varieties of beans, but also the green variety. The basic principle of creating a menu: 1 dish with beans for each meal (lunch, breakfast and dinner). Unsweetened fruits or fermented milk drinks are served as a second breakfast and afternoon snack. Any vegetable salads are also allowed.

Any type of bean diet is contraindicated for gout, cholecystitis and pancreatitis, peptic ulcers and gastritis, as well as kidney diseases. Elderly people should also use the vegetable with caution.

Bean diet

Bean recipes

Based on beans, you can create a complete menu even without adding meat or fish portions. But the conditions of long-term programs allow these additions, so dietary bean dishes for weight loss can also look like a side dish.

Soups for the diet can be prepared according to the following recipes:

  1. Boil bean varieties (300 g) in 1 liter of water. Remove some of the pods from the broth, and add chopped vegetables to it: sweet pepper (1 pc.), 1 medium onion, 1 carrot and 4 medium-sized tomatoes. Boil the vegetables for 2-7 minutes and pour 250 ml of tomato juice into the soup. Puree the bean pods removed from the broth with a blender and return to the soup. Bring to a boil, cook for 3-4 minutes, add salt and remove from heat. Serve with greens.
  2. Soak the grain beans for 5-6 hours and then boil (0.5 cups of dry grains per 1 liter of water). When the beans are cooked until tender, add potatoes, fresh or sauerkraut, and fried carrots, onions and tomatoes to the broth. Simmer the cabbage soup over low heat for 20 minutes and serve with herbs and low-fat sour cream. Borscht is also prepared using bean broth.

Bean recipes

Beans can be served as a side dish for meat, fish or as an independent dish:

  1. Boil 200 g of beans in advance until half cooked. In vegetable oil (1 tbsp.), saute diced zucchini (about 500 g), 1 medium onion and 4 tomatoes. Add the boiled beans, reduce the heat and simmer the stew for about 30 minutes (until the beans are completely cooked). Add garlic and herbs, other seasonings and salt to taste.
  2. For a side dish of green beans, boil 300 g of the vegetable for 15-20 minutes in a small amount of water (the broth can be used for soup) and drain in a colander. Prepare the dressing from 1 tbsp. l. olive or other oil, 2 tbsp. l. chopped parsley and 1 tsp. chopped oregano (oregano). You can mix oil with lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the boiled pods and shake until they are evenly coated with the aromatic seasoning. Serve with meat or fish, with vegetable salad and separately.

Beans can even be used in the form of a delicious pate, replacing store-bought versions of meat or liver dishes. Required:

  • 1 cup dry beans;
  • tomato paste to taste;
  • water;
  • salt, spices.

Soak the grains for 6-8 hours and then boil until tender in a small amount of fresh water. Drain the liquid, cool the beans and grind them in a blender, adding tomato paste and spices to taste. Season with salt and serve with grain breads.

During your diet, you can indulge in cookies if they are made from bean puree. Required:

  • 100 g boiled or canned white beans;
  • 100 g oatmeal;
  • 50 g nuts;
  • 15 g sugar;
  • 55 g banana.

Puree the beans and combine with banana pieces, peanuts and sugar. Mix with a blender until smooth. Grind the oatmeal in a coffee grinder and mix with the bean mixture. Knead a plastic dough (you may need a little more or less oatmeal), form cookies from it and bake at +180°C for 12-15 minutes.

Bean cookies

For many centuries, beans have been used by people to prepare a variety of nutritious and tasty dishes, as well as for the treatment and prevention of many diseases. In addition, beans are included in the menu of most diets and fasting days as an effective product for weight loss. Moreover, after cooking, beans are able to retain all their healing properties.

It is known that this legume is rich in plant protein, vitamins group B, fiber, irreplaceable amino acids, minerals and other compounds beneficial to human health. is a fairly high-calorie product: per 100 grams of product there is an average of 290 kcal.

For a long time nutritionists believed that it was high-calorie beans cannot influence the reduction of excess weight of a person and not recommended include it in the diet fat people.

After conducting a series of experimental studies, scientists have proven that beans are an effective and natural calorie blocker. After consuming this product, an active process of inhibition of the absorption of many carbohydrates occurs in the body, while the calorie content of the consumed dishes decreases. Beans are especially active in blocking starchy foods.

It should be noted that beans restore blood sugar balance and normalizes level cholesterol, which is especially important for those who strive to reduce body weight. Beans Also can reduce appetite, as it stimulates the formation in the body of the hormone cholecystokinin, which takes part in metabolic processes and suppresses feelings.

Nutritionists recommend more often including beans in the menu for weight loss, as they contain vegetable protein and fiber, which help normalize the functioning of the digestive system and correct body weight. Dishes prepared with beans are tasty and nutritious. In this regard, diets and fasting days using beans are easy and painless.

On supermarket shelves you can see different varieties of beans - green, white, red, black, etc. For weight correction nutritionists It is recommended to use green beans, which is a low-calorie and easily digestible product. In 100 grams of this type of bean is concentrated only 25 kcal. Capsicum also includes more vitamins and minerals than other varieties.

For preparing dietary dishes best fit young bean shoots, which have a pleasant and delicate taste, are also faster to prepare and combine harmoniously with many products.

For cooking"correct" dietary bean dishes It must be taken into account that before use it should be boil for 5-10 minutes.

Boiled beans with herbs And olive oil is wonderful a simple dietary dish, which contains a small number of calories and the maximum amount of beneficial compounds.

If you want to diversify your menu with green beans, you can prepare delicious and healthy dishes based on them: soups, salads, snacks, etc.

Salad “Assorted Vegetables”

Required Products:

  • 200 g green beans;
  • one small beet;
  • three carrots;
  • two potatoes;
  • 100 g canned corn;
  • garlic;
  • lemon juice;
  • mustard oil;
  • sea ​​salt.

Cooking method

Fresh vegetables must first be boiled, peeled and chopped into small cubes. Next, combine the vegetables with corn and a dressing of crushed garlic, lemon juice and oil in a deep salad bowl. Add salt and herbs to the prepared salad if desired.

Important, that green beans Not only fights unnecessary kilos, but is also an excellent preventative against rheumatism, gout, skin eczema and other ailments. Also, this product is able to normalize blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and restore organ functions. cardiovascular systems. Green beans are especially recommended for people with diabetes. This plant contains a large amount of the substance arginine, which has an effect on the body similar to insulin.

Green beans are among the ten plants that have a beneficial effect on human life expectancy. It contains a high percentage of folic acid and antioxidants. Beans can also prevent the development of breast cancer and oncology of other human organs.

Thus, Diets and fasting days based on beans will help you lose weight and stay healthy. But if it’s difficult for you to stick to strict diets, then systematically including simple green bean dishes in your daily diet will help you stay in good shape and control your own.

It should be noted that quantity green beans for the elderly should be strictly dose. Overeating beans can cause exacerbation of chronic organ diseases gastrointestinal tract and excretory system. Also not recommended to consume this plant raw, because it contains toxic compounds which can cause food poisoning. Heat treatment of beans completely neutralizes these toxins and retains all useful compounds in it.

Include bean dishes in your menu to actively lose weight and saturate your body with life-giving substances!

Have you stopped admiring yourself in the mirror a long time ago? It's time to set things right with the diet in this article.

Many methods for getting rid of extra pounds suggest fasting, pacifying your wild appetite only with bland porridge or other healthy, but not very tasty food. The bean diet, on the contrary, takes care of your gastronomic pleasure, allowing you to lose weight in style. If you follow simple rules, you can lose a few extra pounds in a matter of days, which will have a beneficial effect not only on your appearance, but also on your internal state - you will want to continue working on yourself.

The essence and features of weight loss

There is evidence that people began to include beans in their diet even before our era, and Roman girls even used this legume for cosmetic purposes. The product came to Russia relatively recently - in the 18th century, and it was brought from France and Turkey.

Gradually, beans took root in our kitchen, but they never became a popular side dish. Most often it is used in Mexican and French dishes, but the opportunity to get rid of extra pounds is an excellent reason to learn how to cook this product in a tasty, varied and healthy way.

There are several varieties of beans, but the three most common and available are red, white and green beans. All of them are good for your figure and health in general, but the latest variety is ahead of its “relatives” in all respects.

The main advantage of beans is their low calorie content. The energy value of the thermally processed red crop is 123 units, white – 102 units, legume – 35 units per 100 g. By consuming these products in combination with other ingredients that are beneficial for the figure, you can make your own body work for your benefit. Since insufficient energy will be supplied to it with food, it will produce it independently, burning fat deposits.

Important: An important advantage of legumes is its low glycemic index. This indicator shows how quickly the carbohydrates contained in the product are converted into glucose.

The faster this happens, the more excess sugar will appear, which will then be deposited in the form of fatty tissue.

In this regard, green beans are again the leader - its index is only 15 units. For the red product this indicator is at 27, and for the white product – 35.

Nutritionists advise anyone who wants to lose weight to eat food with a glycemic index of no more than 55, so any type of beans will be useful for weight loss.

The only exception is the canned product - due to its high sugar content, its GI is 74.

All types of beans contain large amounts of vegetable protein. It cannot completely replace animal food and is less easily absorbed by the body, but it is still necessary to maintain normal vital processes. In addition, the bean diet (see reviews below) involves a balanced menu, which includes both plant and animal proteins, and this is the option that is most beneficial for humans. Thanks to this, you can not only get rid of fat deposits with a low-calorie diet, but also build muscle mass by doing physical activity.

This type of weight loss is considered the most rational.

Beans have a mild diuretic effect, as a result of which swelling disappears.

Some people mistake them for folds of fat for a long time and are incredibly surprised when they disappear on the second day of the diet. By removing excess fluid from the body, water-salt metabolism is normalized.

Important: The product also has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. Many people cannot lose weight, no matter how hard they try and no matter what methods they use. Due to a slow metabolism, it is not possible to get rid of extra pounds - they keep coming and coming.

The only disadvantage of the product is that it can cause flatulence, especially in those people who are prone to this. This can be prevented by soaking the beans in cold water with a little baking soda before cooking.

Principles of the technique

The bean diet recommends avoiding fried, fatty, smoked, salty and spicy foods. Instant foods, fast food, alcohol, confectionery and bakery products are prohibited. It is also necessary to exclude pasta, potatoes, sausage and frankfurters from the menu.

Beans go well with vegetables on the menu; you can also cook lean meat, poultry and fish, but do not fry, but bake, boil, stew or steam. For dessert you can eat berries and fruits, and for breakfast and dinner you can drink fermented milk drinks with a low fat content.

In addition, on a bean diet you must adhere to the following rules:

  1. You need to eat in small portions, 4-6 times a day, preferably at regular intervals. Even over a short period of diet, the body can get used to such a system, and subsequently the gastrointestinal tract will work like clockwork.
  2. Portions should be small. It is believed that for each meal you need to eat the amount of food that would fit into a standard cut glass.
  3. During the diet, dishes must be prepared without salt or with a minimum amount of it. You also need to give up sugar. These flavoring additives stimulate the appetite, prevent the normalization of metabolism and the removal of excess fluid.
  4. Every day you need to drink at least 8 glasses of pure water without gas to normalize water-salt metabolism.

When buying beans, you need to pay attention to their appearance. The surface should be smooth, uniform in color, and there should be no dark inclusions on it. The beans in the package should not be stuck together.

Important: The bean diet for weight loss is not suitable for everyone; it is contraindicated for people with diseases of the digestive, cardiovascular or biliary system. The ban is imposed on those who suffer from urological diseases or mental disorders.

Children, teenagers, pregnant and lactating women should not go on a bean diet. You can repeat the method no more than once a month.

Menu for 1 week


In the classic version, the bean diet for quick weight loss is designed for 1 week. During this time, the body has time to unload after prolonged consumption of unhealthy foods, and the volume of the waist and hips may decrease by several centimeters. A balanced menu is provided for every day, which saturates with all the necessary nutrients.

Diet 1 day

  • breakfast - sandwiches made from diet bread, low-fat cottage cheese and pieces of fruit;
  • second breakfast - apple, grapefruit or freshly squeezed juice without added sugar;
  • lunch – red beans baked with vegetables;
  • afternoon snack – a glass of kefir with a fat content of up to 1%;
  • dinner - salad of white beans, celery and mushrooms.

Diet 2 days

  • breakfast - sandwiches made from pieces of black bread and tofu;
  • second breakfast – a cocktail of low-fat kefir, berries or fruits;
  • lunch – bean soup with tomatoes and celery;
  • afternoon snack - a handful of any nuts;
  • dinner - boiled beans and boiled pollock fillet.

Diet 3 days

  • breakfast - oatmeal cooked in water with pieces of fruit;
  • second breakfast – steam omelette of 2 eggs;
  • lunch – stewed beans with vegetables;
  • afternoon snack - any unsweetened fruit;
  • dinner – steamed green beans and a light vegetable salad with olive oil.

Diet 4 days

  • breakfast – cottage cheese casserole with herbs;
  • second breakfast - apple and pear salad with low-fat natural yogurt;
  • lunch – white beans stewed with pieces of chicken breast;
  • afternoon snack – second serving of apple and pear salad;
  • dinner – bean salad with cilantro.

Diet 5 days

  • breakfast - pearl barley, boiled in water, with pieces of fruit;
  • second breakfast – a handful of dried apricots or prunes;
  • lunch – lobio with mushrooms;
  • afternoon snack – a glass of freshly squeezed tomato juice without salt;
  • dinner - vegetable salad, diet bread with low-fat hard cheese.

Diet 6 days

  • breakfast – steam omelet of 2-3 eggs with herbs;
  • second breakfast – a glass of low-fat kefir;
  • lunch – cottage cheese casserole with beans;
  • afternoon snack – a glass of freshly squeezed citrus juice without sugar;
  • dinner - white beans stewed with lean beef or veal.

Diet 7 days

  • breakfast – fruit salad with low-fat hard cheese;
  • second breakfast - a handful of nuts;
  • lunch - brown rice, boiled in water, and boiled green beans;
  • afternoon snack – a glass of low-fat kefir;
  • dinner – beans baked with vegetables in foil.

The menu deliberately does not indicate portion sizes as they are determined individually. You need to eat enough to satisfy your hunger, but not overeat. During the diet, the body receives enough protein and energy to be able to exercise, so it is best to reinforce the effect with training on problem areas.

Results and reviews

On a bean diet, you can lose up to 3 kg of excess weight in a week, and the most intense weight loss will be in the first few days.

At this time, it is not so much fat deposits that leave the body, but stagnation of fluid and intestinal contents - a comprehensive cleansing occurs. Many have already managed to formulate their own ideas and reviews about the bean diet. For example, the girl Alena writes:

“The diet is easy, convenient, affordable. True, you won’t be able to lose a lot and quickly with it, but then the kilograms won’t come back. I followed the diet for 5 days, during which time I lost 1.4 kg.” Another girl, Sophia, left this review:

“I know that beans cause flatulence, but I still decided to take a risk and try this diet. To be honest, I don’t really like beans, and the technique is designed for an amateur. The bloating still overtook me, and the menu was not too tasty for me, so I only lasted three days. I lost 1 kg 200 g.”

conclusions

The technique will not help you get rid of a lot of excess weight, but the diet for weight loss using beans is more rational than other express methods. In a week of diet, you can get ready to switch to proper nutrition, which will help you get rid of the problem of excess weight in the future.
Reader's story "How I lost 18 kg in 2.5 months"

Beans are officially recognized by experts as one of the most valuable food crops. It is a source of easily digestible vegetable protein, so it can be an excellent alternative to meat and even its complete replacement. But at the same time, many ladies doubt whether it is worth including it in their diet for weight loss.

Is it possible to eat beans while losing weight?

This plant is quite nutritious and satisfying. Dishes made from this legume suppress the feeling of hunger for a long time and do not contain many calories - 123 kcal per 100 grams. However, the benefits of beans for weight loss are not only this.

The effectiveness of the product in getting rid of is explained by the following reasons:

  • beans are easily digestible, despite the high content of plant fiber, and therefore do not cause constipation, which often affects those losing weight;
  • allows you to lose excess weight gradually and without harm to the body;
  • stimulates metabolic processes, accelerating the breakdown of fats accumulated in the body, helping to lose weight faster;
  • promotes the production of cholecystokinin, a hormone that is responsible for converting fats into energy;
  • has the ability to block enzymes that are involved in the processing of starchy compounds; Thus, the product prevents the formation of new fat deposits.

For dietary nutrition, boiled beans are used, which are pre-soaked for 8-10 hours. It can be used as a side dish, added to salads, and used as a complete product during a mono-diet. The best option is to eat beans for dinner.

Are red beans good for weight loss?

Most often, when we talk about beans, we mean the white variety. However, you can also use red beans when losing weight. It contains many antioxidants, so in addition to weight loss, it also helps rejuvenate the body. In addition, the product improves blood composition, removes toxins, strengthens the immune system. And red beans contain slightly fewer calories - 90-100 kcal per 100 grams. It should also be eaten boiled.

Are canned beans good for weight loss?

The boiled product can be replaced with canned food. But you still shouldn’t get carried away with canned beans, since they contain quite a lot of salt. And some manufacturers may also use harmful additives, so carefully study the composition of canned food before purchasing.