Modular Toolkit

Nutrition

Headlines

• Canned beans make it convenient and deliciously easy to add more plants to the diet.
• Canned beans offer a simple, convenient, and tasty way to add flavor, texture, and variety to just about any meal.
• Enjoy beans whole-heartedly!
• Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart!
• Open a can of beans to close nutrient gaps.
• Eating beans is good! Eating more is even better.
• There’s bean a lot of talk about the health benefits of beans!
• Don’t fall short on nutrients. Add a serving (or 2!) of beans each day.
• Small but mighty, beans are a nutritional powerhouse.

Messaging

It’s no secret that canned beans are nutritious. But did you know they have health benefits that support the prevention and management of diabetes?

• The goodness of beans extends beyond their ability to help control blood sugar. They promote digestive health can help prevent heart disease, can help maintain and lose weight, and can make people healthier.
• Beans do contain carbohydrates, but ½ cup also provides as much protein as an ounce of meat without the saturated fat.
• Protein group? Check. Vegetable group? Check. Beans, peas, and lentils, known as pulses, are unique foods in that they are considered a part of both!¹
• Beans pack the trifecta of weight management – fiber, protein, and delicious taste. A naturally rich source of dietary fiber, beans help promote health and support weight management. In addition, the protein helps aid satiety and maintain muscle mass.^{2 3}
• Make a simple swap. Exchanging pulses for small amounts of other protein foods and refined grains improves the nutritional profile of the diet by enriching it with important nutrients such as protein, fiber, iron, and potassium.⁴
• Beans are the MVP of the plate—helping you reach higher diet quality scores.⁵ Highest diet quality scores are associated with 24% decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, 31% reduced risk for coronary heart disease, 20% lowered risk for stroke, 23% decreased risk for diabetes, 6% reduced risk for cancer.⁶
• Don’t fall short on important nutrients. Adding just one serving of beans a day helps to close the nutrient gaps (including dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, and choline).⁷
• Most people in the United States are not eating enough beans, peas, and lentils, or pulses. In fact, more than 80% of the population is consuming below the recommendations.⁸
• Take beans to heart. Eating pulses can help prevent heart disease. How? Adequate pulse consumption can lower both total and LDL-cholesterol levels.⁹
• Pulses can help in the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Research shows improvements in fasting glucose levels and insulin sensitivity when pulses are incorporated into diets.

Sustainability

Headlines

• Looking for food options that benefit the environment and human health while reducing costs for consumers? It’s in the can...canned beans and chickpeas!
• When it comes to canned beans and chickpeas, a low carbon footprint makes for highly sustainable foods.
• Want to boost nutrition and cut down on food waste? Can it—with beans and chickpeas!

Messaging

• If you are adjusting your diet to benefit the environment and human health, add more beans and chickpeas.
• Adding a couple of servings of beans and chickpeas each week in place of animal proteins helps close nutrient gaps while increasing fiber. Choosing canned varieties makes it a delicious and easy swap!
• Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which disrupt ecosystems, economies, human health, and well-being. Choosing canned foods, like beans and chickpeas, helps reduce food waste and protect the environment.
• On average, plant-based products generate significantly fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than animal-based products. In fact, legumes can produce up to 250 times less GHG emissions per gram of protein compared to some commonly consumed meats.^{10 11}
• Beans and chickpeas naturally improve soil health by adding nitrogen, reducing the need for additional fertilizers, which can improve community water quality and save farmers money.
• Canning safely locks in the inherent nutritional value of beans and chickpeas¹⁰, preserving their plant-based protein, fiber, and micronutrients without the need for added preservatives or refrigeration, making them both a sustainable and nutritious pantry staple.
• Research shows that beans and chickpeas are among the most affordable sources of protein available,¹¹ and eating two servings of plant-based proteins, such as beans and chickpeas, weekly in place of two servings of animal proteins, such as meat, increases fiber and helps close nutrient gaps (including folate, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins).¹²
• Incorporating beans and chickpeas into crop rotations is an effective way to improve the productivity of land, increase yield, and minimize the risk of crop loss related to pests and disease.¹³
• Canned beans and chickpeas are shelf-stable, which reduces food waste and favorably impacts the environment. It is estimated that up to 40% of the US food supply is wasted¹⁴ contributing approximately 6% of total US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.¹⁵ This demonstrates the importance of choosing foods that help minimize food waste, like canned beans and chickpeas.
• The resilience of beans and chickpeas in diverse and harsh environments, including non-irrigated farmland that supports many food-insecure populations, makes them an ideal crop for securing a nutritious global food supply.¹⁶
• Steel food cans have the highest recycling rate of any food packaging (58%). Most other materials can only be recycled a few times — if at all — before losing quality and being sent to landfill. In fact, more than 75% of all steel ever produced is still in use.¹⁷

Additional Health, Nutrition and Sustainability Messaging

• Beans have nourished cultures around the world for centuries. Today, canned beans offer a tasty, convenient, and nutritious option that supports both personal well-being and a healthier planet. From health and nutrition to convenience and safety, great taste and variety to versatility and value, environmentally friendly and good for the planet, the reasons for choosing canned beans are as plentiful as the ways they can be used.
• What could be easier than opening a can of beans? The possibilities are endless. From cooked to eaten straight-from-the-can, the versatility and convenience of canned beans can’t be beat.
• Delicious, nutritious, inexpensive, and easy to use, canned beans add taste, texture, and nutrition to any dish. From entrees and sides, appetizers and desserts, you can’t go wrong.
• Given their health benefits, versatility, sustainability, and delicious flavor, canned beans bring great taste and convenience to plant-based diets, making it easier than ever to add more plant-based foods to your meals.
• Canned beans can be used to replace some (or all) of the meat typically included in traditional recipes to add taste, texture, and nutrition while reducing a dish’s cholesterol, saturated fat, and carbon footprint.
• From health and nutrition to convenience and affordability, great taste and variety to versatility and value, the reasons for choosing canned beans are as plentiful as the ways they can be used. The American Diabetes Association named beans a Diabetes Superfood.¹⁸ Kidney, pinto, navy, or black beans are packed with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and potassium. They are very high in fiber too.
• The muscles’ response to protein becomes muted overtime, so as we get older, we need to consume additional protein.¹⁹ Canned beans make it easy to add more protein to the diet.
• Beans have been a staple for diets worldwide for more than two centuries. Canned beans are a great choice for those looking for great-tasting, delicious, and convenient solutions.
• From health and nutrition to convenience and safety, great taste and variety to versatility and value, the reasons for choosing canned beans are as plentiful as the ways they can be used.
• What could be easier than opening a can of beans? The possibilities are endless. From main dishes to sides, appetizers to desserts (yes, desserts!), cooked to straight-from-the-can, the versatility and convenience of canned beans can’t be beat.
• Delicious, nutritious, inexpensive, and easy to use, canned beans add taste, texture and nutrition to any dish. From entrees and sides, appetizers and desserts, you can’t go wrong.
• Given their health benefits, versatility and delicious flavor, canned beans bring great taste and convenience to plant-based diets, making it easier than ever to add more plant-based foods to your meals.
• Canned beans can be used to replace some or all the meat typically included in traditional recipes to add taste, texture, and nutrition while reducing a dish’s cholesterol and saturated fat.
• Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you, well, you know. But did you know that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics holds the position that the public should consume adequate amounts of fiber from a variety of plant foods?²⁰

Weight Management

• A naturally rich source of dietary fiber, beans help promote health and support weight management.
• The protein in beans helps aid satiety and maintain muscle mass. In addition to calcium associated with an adequate supply of vitamin D, dietary protein represents a key nutrient for bone health.

Health Risk Mitigation

• Beans, a naturally rich source of dietary fiber, help promote digestive health and support weight management and weight loss. These benefits help reduce risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases.
• Increased fiberintake is associated with reduced blood pressure and reduced total and LDL-cholesterol levels.
• Individuals who eat beans regularly have a longer life expectancy than those who don’t eat beans regularly.
• The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends that individuals make whole grains, vegetables, fruits and pulses (legumes) such as beans and lentils a major part of their normal diet.

Diabetes Management

Beans can aid in the prevention and management of diabetes.

• Eating beans may help with the prevention of diabetes and the management of blood glucose levels.
• Eating beans can help manage blood glucose/improve glycemic control by improving insulin sensitivity and lowering A1c.
• Bioactive compounds (triacylglycerols or TAGs) in red kidney beans show antidiabetic effects via inhibition of α-glucosidase.
• A recent study in Chinese T2DM patients showed that bean-based breakfasts significantly reduced postprandial glucose levels & promoted insulin secretion vs. white rice-based meal.
• Eating beans can help people lose or maintain weight.

Digestive Health

• It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that the public should consume adequate amounts of fiber from a variety of plant foods.
• Higher intakes of dietary fiber reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, and have been associated with lower body weights.
• Healthy adults and children can achieve adequate dietary fiber intakes by increasing their intake of plant foods (including whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and nuts) while concurrently decreasing energy from foods high in added sugar and fat, and low in fiber.

Diet Quality

• Beans are excellent sources of fiber, folate and potassium and excellent sources of plant protein that also provides iron and zinc like other protein foods.
• Bean and/or chickpea consumption in the US population may result in better diet quality with diets that are more nutrient dense than those without beans. Nutrients include: on average, 100 g serving of canned beans contributes:
  • 115-140 Kcal
  • 1-3 g total fat
  • 19-21 g carbohydrate
  • 6-7 g fiber
  • 7-8 g protein
  • 40-70 mg calcium
  • 140-250 mg potassium

Affordability

• Canned Beans Make Cents!! At less than half the price per pound for chicken and approximately 20% the cost per pound for beef, canned beans help stretch the family food budget. Studies show that pulses are a source of low-cost plant-based protein and offer a variety of priority vitamins and minerals.

Beans: A Nutritional Powerhouse

• Delicious, nutritious, inexpensive, and easy to use, canned beans add taste, texture, and nutrition to any meal. Beans provide fiber, folate and potassium and excellent sources of plant protein while also providing iron and zinc like other protein foods.1
• The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 – 2025 and the USDA’s Choose My Plate indicate that beans, peas, and lentils can be considered as part of the vegetable or protein groups.

The Great Bean Swap

• Replacing other proteins with pulses significantly improves the nutritional profile of the diet. Adding about ¼ cup of pulses per day in place of one ounce per day of other protein foods increases fiber, a nutrient of concern, and decreases cholesterol, each by more than 10%.2
• Exchanging pulses for refined grains enriches the diet with important nutrients including (among others) protein, fiber, iron and potassium. Substituting ½ cup of pulses daily in place of one ounce of refined grains daily increases fiber, magnesium, copper, and potassium, a nutrient of concern, by more than 10%.3

Health Effects Associated With Beans

• Dietary patterns rich in beans (including beans, black beans and/or pinto beans) and/or chickpeas are associated with significantly higher diet quality scores. Bean and/or chickpea consumption in the US population may result in better diet quality with diets that are more nutrient dense than those without beans.4
• Dietary patterns rich in beans (including kidney beans, black beans and/or pinto beans) and/or chickpeas are associated with greater intake of shortfall nutrients, including nutrients of public health concern.4 Bean and/or chickpea consumption in the US population may result in better diet quality with diets that are more nutrient dense than those without beans.5
• The addition of beans to the US typical dietary pattern resulted in large and significant increases in several shortfall nutrients, including dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and choline.6

• United States Department of Agriculture. MyPlate. https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/protein-foods/beans-peas-lentils#:~:text=Like%20vegetables%20%E2%80%93%20beans%2C%20peas%2C,nutrition%20to%20keep%20us%20healthy. (accessed on 29 May 2024).
• Agarwal S, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Effect of Adding Pulses to Replace Protein Foods and Refined Grains in Healthy Dietary Patterns. Nutrients. 2023 Oct 13;15(20):4355. doi: 10.3390/nu15204355. PMID: 37892430; PMCID: PMC10610119.
• Agarwal S, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Effect of Adding Pulses to Replace Protein Foods and Refined Grains in Healthy Dietary Patterns. Nutrients. 2023 Oct 13;15(20):4355. doi: 10.3390/nu15204355. PMID: 37892430; PMCID: PMC10610119.
• Papanikolaou Y, Slavin J, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Adult dietary patterns with increased bean consumption are associated with greater overall shortfall nutrient intakes, lower added sugar, improved weight-related outcomes and better diet quality. Nutr J. 2024 Mar 20;23(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s12937-024-00937-1. PMID: 38504300; PMCID: PMC10953200.
• Mitchell DC, Marinangeli CPF, Pigat S, Bompola F, Campbell J, Pan Y, Curran JM, Cai DJ, Jaconis SY, Rumney J. Pulse Intake Improves Nutrient Density among US Adult Consumers. Nutrients. 2021 Jul 31;13(8):2668. doi: 10.3390/nu13082668. PMID: 34444828; PMCID: PMC8398140.
• Papanikolaou Y, Slavin J, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Adult dietary patterns with increased bean consumption are associated with greater overall shortfall nutrient intakes, lower added sugar, improved weight-related outcomes and better diet quality. Nutr J. 2024 Mar 20;23(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s12937-024-00937-1. PMID: 38504300; PMCID: PMC10953200.

Headlines

• Beans (including kidney beans, black beans and/or pinto beans) and chickpeas are a nutritional powerhouse.
• Beans (including kidney beans, black beans and/or pinto beans) and chickpeas help close nutrient gaps.
• Beans (including kidney beans, black beans and/or pinto beans) and chickpeas help improve weight-related outcomes.
• Dietary patterns rich in beans and pulses (including beans, black beans, pinto beans and/or chickpeas) are associated with significantly higher diet quality scores.
• Important Fact: Beans and pulses are sources of fiber, folate, and potassium and plant protein while also providing iron and zinc like other protein foods.
• What could be simpler and more inspirational than opening a can of beans?
• Beans have been a staple in pantries and around the world for centuries.
• Canned Beans are a great choice for today’s healthy-minded consumers looking for great tasting, convenient solutions.

Content

• Providing fiber and protein, beans are nutrient-dense. Among the varieties, they may contain many nutrients that are important for a healthy diet include (among others) iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
• With gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian options, canned beans are ideal for today's varied diets.
• Beans’ high fiber content and low-glycemic index means they are great for people with diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Association refers to them as Superstar Foods!
• Canned beans make it easy to add more plants to your diet and reduce meat intake, lowering daily caloric and cholesterol intake.
• Canned beans save time and money. They are extremely affordable, always in season and always ready to use.
• Bean and/or chickpea consumption in the US population may result in better diet quality creating diets that are more nutrient dense than those without beans and pulses.1 Nutrients include: on average, 100 g serving of canned beans contributes:
  • 115-140 Kcal
  • 1-3 g total fat
  • 19-21 g carbohydrate
  • 6-7 g fiber
  • 7-8 g protein
  • 40-70 mg calcium
  • 140-250 mg potassium2

• Mitchell DC, Marinangeli CPF, Pigat S, Bompola F, Campbell J, Pan Y, Curran JM, Cai DJ, Jaconis SY, Rumney J. Pulse Intake Improves Nutrient Density among US Adult Consumers. Nutrients. 2021 Jul 31;13(8):2668. doi: 10.3390/nu13082668. PMID: 34444828; PMCID: PMC8398140.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center. FoodData Central. [Internet]. [cited March 6, 2025]. Available from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov.

January

• National Sunday Supper Month is a great time to enjoy Family Meals with your favorite people and foods, including canned beans.
• National Soup Month Canned beans are an easy, delicious addition to homemade soups and a great way to add flavor, texture and nutrients!
• Slow Cooker Month is the perfect time for the family to enjoy Slow-Simmered Beef, Beans and Onions. Just brown the beef, toss the ingredients together, and hours later enjoy!
• January 1st: New Years Day! Resolve to EAT MORE CANNED BEANS.
• January 6th: Bean Day! Celebrate big by whipping up some Three Bean Confetti Salsa
• January 16th: It’s National Nothing Day! You know what tastes better than beans?? NOTHING!
• January 17th: Get to Know Your Customers Day. Ask them about their favorite dishes – and help them add beans!
• January 19 to 25: It’s National Healthy Weight Week – Canned beans, a naturally rich source of dietary fiber, help promote digestive health and support weight management and weight loss.
• January 29th: It’s National Corn Chip Day – and they go great with your favorite chili and lots of varieties of canned beans
• Striving for Meatless Mondays this year? Visit CannedBeans.org for recipes, usage suggestions and inspiration!

February

• National Heart Health Month. The American Heart Association recommends beans as part of a healthy eating pattern!
• Canned Food Month. Trust the safety of canned today’s foods. According to the Can Manufacturers Institute, 100% of food cans sampled in a recent study did not contain BPA as a component of the lining.
• National Snack Food Month. Satisfy your snack attack with some Crunchy Garbanzo Beans!
• February 2nd: Ground Hog Day! Will there be 6 more weeks of Winter? That’s OK because you have cozy meals with canned beans to keep you warm.
• February 3rd: National Wear Red Day. Wear Red for Women’s Heart Health. Beans – with their protein and fiber content, are good for your heart.
• February 4th: National Homemade Soup Day – add your favorite canned beans to add some heartiness with protein and fiber.
• February 10th: World Pulses Day. Beans are among the most sustainable, environmentally friendly, and good-for-you crops. For each gram of protein, the average global water footprint of beans is 34% that of pork and 17% that of beef.
• February 13th: This Galentine’s Day, show your besties how much you love them. Nothing shows true friendship like a healthy dinner made with beans.
• February 24th: National Tortilla Chip Day. What’s better with tortilla chips than Black Bean Salsa with Pineapple?
• February 27th: National Chili Day. When it comes to beans and chili, there are no rules! Spice up your traditional chili with kidney, black, pinto, or cannellini beans!

March

• March 3rd – 7th: National School Breakfast Week. Spread on toast or folded into an egg burrito, canned beans are a great way to start the day!
• March 4th: Mardi Gras is the perfect opportunity to serve up some delicious Beef & Bean Taco Skillet!
• March 9th : Daylight Savings Time begins. Longer days don’t mean you need to spend more time in the kitchen! Whip up some Easy Chicken and Black Bean Burritos and have a delicious, nutritious dinner in under 30 minutes!
• March 10th: National Pack Your Lunch Day. Need some ideas? Check out our delicious bean recipes at CannedBeans.org
• March 14th: National PI Day. Pinto Bean Pie anyone?
• March 17th: St. Patrick’s Day. Include some traditional Irish breakfast favorites to start your day including black and white pudding, eggs, bacon, sausage and baked beans!
• March 20th: First Day of Spring! Put some spring in your step with this Creamy Cannellini Macaroni Bake!
• March 23rd: National Chip and Dip Day. Packed with flavor and protein, hummus is a dip with global allure!

April

• We are not fooling when we say that the fiber in beans (including kidney beans, black beans and/or pinto beans) and chickpeas help improve weight-related outcomes.
• April 13th: For National Make Lunch Count Day, make YOUR lunch count with these Stuffed Greek Chicken Wraps.
• April 15th: It’s Tax Day – At pennies per serving, canned beans are the perfect “value” food!
• Make the most of that tax refund! Did you know that at less than half the price per pound for chicken and approximately 20% the cost per pound for beef, canned beans help stretch the family food budget?
• December 16: National Chocolate Covered Anything Day. Chocolate covered beans? Ooh! Delicious.
• April 16th: It’s National Bean Counter Day. They mean canned beans, right?

• United States Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Research Service USDA Food Composition Databases, USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (Release 28, Released September 2015, Revised April 2019). Available online: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov (accessed on 7 April 2023).