The Better Bean Company makes a terrific product that should take off nationwide. We hope it will be the next big thing in delicious, nutrient-dense food for all meals of the day.

We hope you’ll try it. You can even get your first tub free (see below).
 
 
A NEW WAY TO BUY BEANS

The company is first to market a line of all-natural, refrigerated, ready-to-eat beans.

The beans are $3.99 for a 14-ounce plastic tub that is BPA-free, freezable, microwavable and reusable. The beans are solidly packed into the tubs: There’s no packing liquid or no air pockets taking up space; nothing to drain, no can opener required.

Just pop the top off the tub and dig in, or heat them as you prefer. Add them to recipes, use them as garnishes.

Prepared from scratch with freshly-harvested beans, the line is cooked in a gluten-free facility, and is non-GMO certified, vegan certified, nut free and soy free.

Bonus: The line has one-third the sodium of regular canned beans.
 
 
WHY THEY’RE EASIER TO DIGEST

Another bonus: Better Bean is easy on the digestive system. The company:

 
 
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*Oligosaccharides, a category of sugars in beans, cannot be digested by the stomach or small intestine. They get passed on to the large intestine where bacteria begin to break them down. During the process, the bacteria release several different types of gases, mainly hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
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MEET THE BETTER BEANS

They are excellent on their own as a protein-packed side or snack; or can be added to dishes and recipes for every meal of the day.

The Better Bean line currently has eight varieties: half with mild seasonings, half with medium spiciness.

While the beans are cooked with garlic, onion and herbs, you can add fresh herbs, chopped scallions, more heat or other seasonings as you desire.

Take your pick:

[2] Half the varieties are mild, half are medium-spicy.

[3] An easy way to add protein to avocado toast.

 
Any variety can be served hot or cold.

[4] Add protein to avocado toast (photo courtesy Better Bean).

[5] Get creative: Instead of stuffing mushrooms with empty-carb breadcrumbs, stuff them with beans (photo courtesy Gather The Table).

Beans are nutrient-dense and provide your body with essential nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and one of the most affordable sources of protein.

In addition to the bowls, dips and Tex-Mex (enchiladas, nachos, quesadillas, rice and beans, tacos) recommended on the packages, try them:
 
At Breakfast

 
At Lunch

 
At Dinner

 
For Snacks

Try the the tub of your choice free. Just download the website coupon.

Better Bean is carried by Whole Foods stores nationwide, Amazon Fresh and other retailers. Here’s the locator for retail store and e-tail websites.

Head to BetterBeanCo.com for more on this very welcome line.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF BEANS

Beans are one of the oldest-cultivated plants, an important source of protein. Cultivated bean fossils found in Thailand date to the early 7000 B.C.E.

Cultivation came later in the west: Wild beans that had been initially gathered in Afghanistan and the Himalayan foothills were cultivated by 2000 B.C.E. in the the Aegean, Iberia and transalpine Europe (modern Belgium, France, parts of Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland).

The oldest-known domesticated beans in the Americas date to the same time [source]. In fact, most species in the bean genus Phaseolus originated in the Americas, and were grown from Chile to the northern United States.

In the New World, indigenous peoples grew beans together with maize and squash. The beans would be planted around the base of the developing corn stalks, and would wind their way up, with the stalks serving as a trellis. The beans, in turn, provide essential nitrogen for the corn.

Bean trivia: Beans are a heliotropic plant, meaning that the leaves tilt throughout the day to face the sun. At night, they fold into a “sleep” position.
 
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEANS

Check out the different types of beans in our Beans & Grains Glossary.