8 healthy ways to cook beans

Breakfast or brunch boost: Add finely julienned string beans to an omelette, quiche, scrambled eggs or frittata.

Tasty side dish: Add chopped blanched flat beans to whole-wheat couscous along with chopped tomato, sweet onion and parsley, and a large pinch of cumin. Serve with grilled lamb or salmon.

Easy weeknight dinner: Stir-fry chopped yard-long beans ‘and red pepper slices with minced garlic and ginger, strips of lean steak and a ‘little soy sauce. Serve with quick-cook brown rice.

Build-your-own niçoise salad: To feed a crowd, set out a large bowl of mixed leafy greens and smaller bowls of steamed whole haricots verts (or thin green beans), cooked new potatoes, canned or grilled tuna, hard-boiled eggs, grape tomatoes and black olives. Serve with a balsamic and olive oil dressing to drizzle overtop.

Rainbow hors d’oeuvres: Add thin raw yellow, purple and green beans to a fresh vegetable appetizer tray.

Need a quick dip? Purée fresh blanched fava or lima beans with feta cheese, garlic, cumin, olive oil and yogurt.

On the barbecue: Toss green, yellow or flat beans with a little olive oil and minced garlic. Grill in a grilling basket over medium heat until tender and starting to brown, about six to eight minutes.

Nutty side dish: Blanch green and yellow beans. Add to a sauté pan with a little butter and some chopped almonds. Sauté until nuts have started to brown and beans are heated through. Serve with grilled chicken or white fish.