Sustainability AND BEANS Looking for a small way to be more sustainable? Increase the use of beans in your kitchen! A fiber-rich, plant-based protein, beans come in a variety of textures, suitable for soups, blended into dips, formed into patties, as a base for bowls and more! Even used WITH meat in burgers and soups, beans can add bulk at a fraction of the price.
Beans are Regenerative Agriculture Growing beans is good for the earth. Because beans are used as a cover crop, they improve soil health and our farm lands by reducing the need for fertilizers and herbicides as well as reducing the amount of tillage needed in a field. They are known as regenerative agriculture because unlike other crops, they add nutrients back into the soil, rather than taking nutrients away. Beans have a Smaller Footprint Being plant-based, beans naturally have a smaller footprint than animal proteins. If your program has goals to reduce greenhouse gasses, it would be helpful to know that beans have one-fortieth the amount of greenhouse gasses as other foods, like beef. Plus, growing beans is more efficient, pumping out more pounds of beans per acre than what is needed to raise meat. Beans Support Farmers The more you buy and cook with beans, the more you can feel good about supporting farmers, a critical part of our food supply chain. The farmers we know will grow beans each season primarily for their soil enhancing and cover crop benefits, plus the added bonus of being able to sell this cover crop helps make their bottom line more secure. Growing beans reduces the need to apply chemicals to make other crops grow, which
reduces costs for farmers. We know that farmers’ window of success is narrow when extreme weather, drought or pests are all variables. By buying their bean crops, we are helping support their farm overall and their sustainable cover crop practices. One of the other perks of beans? Minimal processing after growing is required. Unlike wheat, for example, beans don’t need to be milled, just harvested and cleaned! If all goes according to plan, it can be a quick crop to get to market. Support YOU Beans are not only good for the soil and for farmers, they are good for you and your diners. They have been known to promote good gut health, reduce heart disease and diabetes risks. They contain both soluble (good for your heart) and insoluble fiber (good for your intestines). Beans are high in antioxidants, which means they prevent and delay cell damage.
Let us know how you try adding more beans on your menu!
Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Annelise has spent her career making sure food sounds appetizing on paper, looks good in pictures and tastes amazing when you order it. Her day-to-day consists of working as Marketing Manager at Ready Foods to connect food service operators with ready-to-use kitchen solutions that are easy to incorporate into a kitchen flow and bring great flavor to menu items. Her favorite hot lunch in elementary school was always nacho day. Ready Foods Annelise McAuliffe Soares
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