Experiencing the Amazing Health Benefits of Green Beans in Your Diet

Getting enough fresh vegetables and fruit in your regular daily diet doesn’t require endless prep work or daily visits to your local grocery store. There are some reliable “staple” foods that provide a quality source of essential vitamins and minerals wrapped in delicious morsels perfect for your family meal.

Among the many options found in nature is green beans' crisp texture and subtle sweetness. Whether you’re whipping up a fresh green bean casserole for the holidays or a warm bowl of soup minestrone for your afternoon lunch, green beans pack the nutrient-heavy punch you need for a healthy diet.

Before we provide some essential green bean recipes to decorate your dining table, let’s go over why these mouthwatering treats are so beneficial to your daily intake.

Green beans are one of those foods low in calories but  high in fiber  (1 cup contains about 3.4 grams of fiber). Fiber slows digestion, promotes fullness, and helps make bathroom visits consistent and smooth.

You want green beans in your diet because they have a wealth of nutrients and vitamins that won’t tip the scale if you're counting calories and help promote a healthy digestive system for weight loss and management.

of your Vitamin A, and other essential minerals you need for a healthier, happier internal system.

When you enjoy green beans, you get:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Folate
• Thiamine
• Niacin
• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Zinc

This means you get everything from Vitamin A, which supports normal vision and a stronger immune system, to Iron, which is essential for growth and development, as well as the protein in blood carrying oxygen to the rest of the body.

Let’s talk about that fiber factor again. Yes, a well-made casserole full of green beans will leave your digestive system smiling, but it also reduces unwanted food cravings in the middle of the day.

Green beans have a high fiber content, which leaves you feeling fuller, but also a low glycemic index. This means they help stabilize blood sugar levels, so you won’t be hunting around the kitchen for a stray cookie or other sugary snack.

Green beans are one of the better sources for Vitamin K. This is the crucial nutrient you need to create the proteins that build and strengthen your bones.

There have been studies showing that a diet with plenty of Vitamin K is linked to better physical function. Meaning the next time you hit the court for a game of hoops, you’re less likely to experience an injury like hip fractures or ankle sprains.

You also get some decent calcium in green beans, which is precisely what more women need to avoid bones becoming weak over time.

A low-FODMAP diet restricts carbohydrates from your system. This isn’t like a “low carb” fad diet. It is essential for those managing IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), cramping, gas, and diarrhea.

The goal is to restrict your diet to certain foods and reintroduce other potential “triggers” causing your uncomfortable symptoms. Green beans fall exceptionally low on that scale because they don’t tend to cause any real reaction in most people.

In other words, you can eat your mom's green bean soup while you determine what other foods are causing an adverse reaction. Learn more about low-FODMAP diets by  visiting Johns Hopkins.

Of course, getting all those nutrient-rich benefits requires a little preparation. You can simply boil or sauté some green beans fresh from the farm, but some standards may help. Here are a quick couple of recipes to get you started!

A green bean casserole is a well-known comfort food often used in holiday meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas. It is a mixture of cream of mushroom soup with green beans that is baked in the oven for a crispy covering.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• ¾ cup milk
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) green beans, drained
• 1 1/3 cups of crispy fried onions

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and whisk the condensed cream of mushroom soup, milk, and black pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Little by little, stir in the green beans and 2/3 cups crisply fried onions until well coated.

Transfer everything to a 1 ½ quart casserole dish (spread evenly) and bake at about 25 minutes. Sprinkle on the remaining crispy fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes before serving.

Anytime you have a craving for a hearty and nutritious soup, you’ll want to add in some green beans. Minestrone is a combination of many veggies and whole grains, so you feel fulfilled and satiated for a longer time.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a good-sized pot. Drop in the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Once ready, add the carrots, celery, and potato and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour in the diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. You’ll want to add the dried Italian seasoning and bring the entire soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the green beans. Then, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Finally, stir in the cannellini beans and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. We like to let it sit for an additional 15 minutes on very low so all the wonderful flavors seep into all the ingredients.

Top it all off with some grated parmesan, salt, and pepper, and serve with a fresh bun. You'll have a wonderful green bean meal.