Green Beans

Green beans and pinto beans are the same species of plant, called the common bean.

Farmers grow different varieties of the common bean for different reasons.

Some varieties are grown for their tender pods. The pods are picked young, before the beans inside grow big, and the whole pod is eaten. Those are green beans.

Other varieties are grown for the seeds inside the pods. The pods are left on the plant until the beans inside are mature and dry. Pinto beans are one of those.

Different stages, different nutrients

A green bean is mostly water, about ninety percent. Green beans provide your body fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and very small amounts of carbohydrate and protein.

Since a dried bean is a mature seed, it holds everything a new plant needs to start growing. A dried bean is packed full of stored energy and protein. Dried beans provide much more protein, carbohydrate, and fiber than green beans, plus iron, folate, magnesium, and potassium. Dried beans have almost no vitamin C.

Beans feed the soil

Beans are legumes. Legumes are plants in the pea family that grow their seeds inside pods. Beans, peas, lentils, garbanzo beans, and peanuts are all legumes.

The roots of legumes grow small bumps where helpful bacteria live. The plant feeds the bacteria sugar, and the bacteria pull nitrogen out of the air and turn that nitrogen into a form the plant can use. Eventually the nitrogen is left in the soil when the plant dies. This is one reason beans are part of regenerative farming.

You are welcome to eat beans fresh or dried.

Stacy 🌺

Information in this post comes from my learning and research.

https://youtube.com/shorts/BZqhHxS5G5M

I share my experiences and my perspective. Eating and healing look different for everyone. If you are struggling with food or your relationship with your body, please find support. You don’t have to do this alone.