Technically, beans are legumes Botanically, beans are classified into a group of plant foods known as legumes. All legumes are members of a family of flowering plants called Fabaceae, also known as Leguminosae. These plants produce fruits and seeds inside a pod.
One source claimed though technically a separate food group known as legumes, beans are very similar to vegetables due to their high fiber, vitamin, mineral, and health-promoting phytonutrient content. Yet, they’re unique to most vegetables, as they’re also quite rich in protein.
Moreover, peas and beans are considered legumes. why?
Some articles claimed legumes — a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils — are among the most versatile and nutritious foods available. Legumes are typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber.
Thus, all beans are considered a legume, but not all legumes are considered beans. The main difference between legumes and beans is that the seeds collected from different plants are called beans, but legumes are plants that have the same type of fruit.
The veggies we eat may consist of a plant’s leaves, roots, stems, shoots, tubers, or even flowers (as in the case of squash blossoms). In contrast, the legumes we eat come from one specific part of the plant: the seeds. Sometimes we eat the immature seeds, as in the case of beans or green peas, which are sometimes called English peas.
What food group are beans in?
Beans are nutrient dense with high fiber and starch contents. Thus, they’re frequently considered part of the vegetable food group. They may be further classified as a “starchy vegetable,” along with potatoes and squash. Perhaps one of the most unique nutritional features of beans is their protein content.
This begs the question “What food group are legumes in?”
You see, all legumes are members of a family of flowering plants called Fabaceae, also known as Leguminosae. These plants produce fruits and seeds inside a pod. As legumes are nutritionally unique, they’re sometimes considered their own food group. However, they’re more frequently categorized with other plant foods like vegetables.
What are legumes and what are they made of?
Legumes can be broken down into different subsections including: beans, lentils, peas and peanuts. To use an analogy, think of beans as a “peacock” and legumes as “birds”. A peacock is a bird, but other birds aren’t necessarily peacocks. They could be a penguin (lentils), a sparrow (peas) or a heron (peanuts).
Which of the following is an example of a legume?
An example of a legume would be a pea pod. Examples of pulses include lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas. Wait, green beans aren’t beans?
Some other common legumes that you may have never considered include: asparagus beans, soybeans, black-eyed peas and sugar snap peas. Is one better than the other?