Beans and peas are unique because they can belong to 2 different My. Plate groups — protein foods or vegetables. Basically, you can count them as whatever you need them to be the most.
What group do beans and peas belong to?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns classify beans and peas as a subgroup of the Vegetable Group. The USDA Food Patterns also indicate that beans and peas may be counted as part of the Protein Foods Group.
Beans in the vegetable food group. Though they make sense being grouped with meat products and protein-laden foods, beans also have a case for being in the fruits and vegetable section of the food pyramid .
A query we ran across in our research was “What food group do peas and lentils belong to?”.
Beans, peas, and lentils belong to a group of vegetables called “pulses. ” This group includes all beans, peas, and lentils cooked from dry, canned, or frozen, such as: kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, pink beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), split peas, pigeon peas, mung beans, and lentils.
Green peas and green lima beans are grouped with Starchy Vegetables . Green (string) beans are grouped with Other Vegetables such as onions, avocado, beets, and cabbage. You can choose to count beans, peas, and lentils as part of the Vegetable Group or the Protein Foods Group depending on how they fit into your overall eating pattern.
Are beans in the grain group?
Yes, these foods are all in the same family—they are all seeds. Grains are the seeds of grasses. Examples include: wheat, corn, oats, and rice. Beans are the seeds of legumes. Examples include: peas, lentils, soybeans, and chickpeas. Nuts are the seeds of trees. Examples include walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans.
Is a green bean a grain?
Dried beans serve as grains to some extent, but are legumes and so are not technically a grain- and you can not make bread flour from beans, but they are starchy. Green bean are surely a vegetable. Nope, green beans are technically fruit–the seed-bearing structure of the plant. A grain, by definition, is the seed of a cereal grass.
What foods are in the grains group?
Have a Question? We’re here to help you find what you’re looking for. Loading What foods are in the Grains Group? Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product.