Eat your blood sugar down with beans. Here’s how!

One of the best things you can do for better blood sugar control is to eat beans at every meal. Why? It’s simple. The fiber in the beans serves as a net that slows down the uptake of sugar into your bloodstream. The end result - better control.

The challenge is that beans equal gas for most people at first. So, if you’re not used to beans start out small - ½ cup a day. When that starts to feel more comfortable, build it up to ½ a cup at the beginning of each meal.

Here are a lot of ways to add beans to each meal:

Breakfast:

Although there are breakfast-specific recipes utilizing beans, feel free to experiment by adding a southwestern flavor to your omelets or breakfast burritos as well.

Try these breakfast beans as a side to pancakes.
Beans are a main ingredient in Super Pancakes.
Try a breakfast burrito with beans.
Make this easy black bean breakfast bowl.
Give chili for breakfast a try. It is fabulous on top of polenta.

Lunch:

The easiest way to add beans to your lunch is to toss them into your salad…or wrap, or sandwich, or soup.

Try this white bean pepper medley with your sandwich.
Add garbanzo beans to your chicken salad. Here’s a fabulous recipe.
Pack up some black bean, avocado, red pepper salad.
Lentils and rice make a savory dish. Top with grilled veggies, avocado, tomato, lettuce.
Bring these roasted vegetables and black bean burritos with you to the office.

Dinner:

From serving beans as side dishes, to blending them in spaghetti sauces, to adding them in soups…dinner is often the easiest meal to power up.

Serve this fabulous garbanzo-kale salad before your meal.
Try red beans and rice as the main dish.
Pair up lentil loaf with your mashed potatoes.
Top your pasta with white bean alfredo sauce.

Eating out:

Minestrone soup (served at Italian joints) always contains beans.
Southwestern restaurants always feature beans as a side or option in most meals.
Asian eateries often offer edamame beans on their menus.
Mediterranean establishments have garbanzo beans as an option.
BBQ joints sometimes feature baked beans.