Get More Beans for Your Buck (Literally)

By Simone Austin, Advanced Sports Dietitian and Healthylife Chief Health Officer

Families are feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living, and many Australian households are not meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines¹, which is concerning for the health of families.

The good news is that data in the Healthylife Living Healthy Report 2024² shows that despite 58% of Australians believing eating healthy food is expensive, a healthy household food shop that meets the Australian Dietary Guidelines could save at least 7%, compared to the current average Australian household shop that doesn’t. Including more legumes in your shop could help you save even more, and benefit your health³.

Eating more legumes for health and budget

On a collective basis, currently, too few adults and children⁴ meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines and, in particular, fall short on vegetable intake and exceed that of discretionary foods³. These ‘sometimes’ foods are high in additional energy (kilojoules) and low in nutrients the body needs¹. Just a small change like swapping some discretionary foods with legumes, veggies and fruits can save money and reduce our risk of chronic disease.

• The Living Healthy Report² shows that a serving of vegetables costs, on average, around 65 cents per serve, compared to discretionary foods at 78 cents per serve.
• Legumes, or beans such as chickpeas, kidney beans and baked beans are considered a vegetable. Half a cup of legumes is a serve of vegetables and costs only 25 cents per half cup serve.

Legumes are also a valuable protein source and are cheaper than many meat proteins. A cup of legumes is a serve of the Meat and Alternatives category and costs only 50 cents per serve, compared to the average cost per serve of Meat and Alternatives² at $1.23 per serve.

Making meat meals go further with legumes

There is a huge opportunity to increase the amount of legumes we eat. Legumes are only the 10th contributor to the number of Australian Dietary Guideline serves of the Meat and Alternatives Group, making up only 3% of serves, according to supermarket sales of 2023.

Not knowing how to prepare legumes is a common barrier to eating them. Learning quick and simple ways to incorporate legumes into meals you’re already cooking may help to reduce this barrier. They are a perfect addition to meals to make your meat go further. You don’t even have to learn new recipes; simply adapt your favourites, for example:

• Throw in a can of lentils to lasagna or bolognese
• Add kidney beans in tacos and burritos
• Enrich your soup with the dried soup mix
• Toss a can of chickpeas in a curry
• Add lentils into mince when making hamburgers
• Use red lentil or chickpea flour to coat schnitzel
• Add a scoop or two of lentils into a Buddha bowl
• Power up lunchbox snacks with roasted chickpeas or edamame beans

Opening a can of lentils or adding in dried varieties, along with chopped onion, some spices and a can of tomatoes, is a great start to a tasty dish or side. Legumes also last in the cupboard for as long as you need, reducing the chance of food waste.

Here are some great legume-filled recipes to try:

Are legumes good for you?

A diet low in legumes is the number one risk factor⁵ for chronic disease, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council recommends at least 3 servings of legumes at least per week to reduce our risk of many common health issues such as heart disease. If you are worried about legumes giving you gas (flatulence), take it slow and gradually increase your intake from a few spoons in a dish to half a cup, which gives you one vegetable serve.

Summary

With most Aussies not meeting their veg serves, these nutrition powerhouses can effortlessly enhance any dish, up vegetable servings, and be a great protein source too, offering health benefits without demanding much time or money.

1. Australian Dietary Guidelines Summary, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55a_australian_dietary_guidelines_summary_book.pdf
2. Living Healthy Report 2024, Healthylife, https://www.healthylife.com.au/health-report
3. Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, Loria C, Vupputuri S, Myers L, Whelton PK. Legume consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women: NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Arch Intern Med. 2001 Nov 26;161(21):2573-8. doi: 10.1001/archinte.161.21.2573. PMID: 11718588. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11718588/
4. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/abds-2018-interactive-data-risk-factors/contents/dietary-risk-factors
5. https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021/12/national-preventive-health-strategy-2021-2030_1.pdf