Green Beans: Amazing Wonderfood

At the request of @jmehta, I wanted to share with you the benefits of another wonderfood: green beans. I don’t eat green beans as often as I’d like, but I am a big fan of this legume. I love green beans not only for their fresh taste, but also their versatility. Green beans can be eaten in so many ways, each as delicious as the next. But the number one reason to love this vegetable is their numerous health benefits.

Green beans don’t contain a shred of cholesterol, which is one of the reasons they are heralded for helping maintain a healthy weight. Along with that trait, green beans are low calorie. Because they don’t contribute to high cholesterol, they are considered a heart healthy food. Naturally low in sodium and high in fiber, green beans are a healthy choice at any meal.

Despite their green color, green beans are rich in carotenoids, the organic pigments that give other healthy foods like tomatoes and carrots their color. The visual presence of carotenoids are typically cancelled out by the ultra green chlorophyll in green beans, but carotenoids like beta-carotene, violaxanthin, lutein, and neoxanthin are still existent in green beans. These phytonutrients are thought to be beneficial in the diet for fighting disease and maintaining organ health.

And, like all vegetables, green beans have a high amount of necessary vitamins and minerals. On top of the iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, and more found in a cup of green beans, they are also loaded with manganese, an antioxidant mineral that supports bone health, healthy metabolism, and promotes the healing of wounds. One serving of green beans covers nearly 15% of your recommended daily value, but is also full of of B, K and E vitamins.

Just as healthy as they are tasty, there are so many reasons to love this wonderfood.