In the future, your diet will be mostly beans | Animated Documentary - BBC

Beans give you gas, yes, but so much more!

Beans are highly versatile, nutritious, cheap and great for the environment. Here’s why the future is looking decidedly beany.

Made in partnership with @oxforduniversity

--

Humanity is facing a multitude of existential threats, from climate change to malnutrition to the rising cost of living. It feels like we need a hero. But not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes they can be found in the unlikeliest of places, like on your toast in the morning. Could the answer to the world's problems be the humble bean? Beans are a dietary staple of nearly every culture across the globe, and for good reason. Not to toot their own horn, but boasting around 40,000 different varieties, beans are highly versatile, nutritious, cheap and great for the environment. Part of the legume family, botanically, beans are a vegetable and come in many different shapes and sizes - from fresh beans and peas to dried seeds like lentils and chickpeas. If you're confused whether you should treat them as a veg or a protein on your plate, the answer is they can be either or both. For example, fresh peas and green beans are considered starchy vegetables, while the high protein content of kidney beans, black beans and chickpeas means they tick the boxes of both food groups. In a world where two and a half billion people are either overweight, obese or malnourished, beans are a nutritional all-rounder. Not only are they an inexpensive substitute for animal products, but they're both low-fat and nutrient-rich, high in protein, iron, zinc and fibre. They contain indigestible carbohydrates that feed the bacteria in the large bowel, making them great for our guts. While all beans contain a mix of essential amino acids, soybeans have the best ratios for our health. Other beans don't have that balance, but around the world, people have traditionally paired them with foods that make the meal nutritionally complete. Think beans on toast, bean burritos, rice and peas, dhal and chapatis. Everything is better with beans. While beans are well known for their role in - to put it delicately - releasing gases, they can also do the opposite. Beans play a unique and important role in crucial ecosystems like forests, grasslands and wetlands. The bacteria in their roots take in nitrogen from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. This process, known as nitrogen fixing, not only provides nutrients for trees and other plants but acts as a natural fertiliser in agriculture, greatly reducing the need for synthetic ones and lowering chemical pollution. In a world of ever increasing temperatures, beans are survivors, able to grow in a wide range of climates, from the broad beans of the UK to the adzuki of the Himalayas. They're hardy, on average requiring less water in their production than rice, wheat or animal products. And given that global water demand is likely to increase by more than 40% by 2030, this is quite a superpower. Beans have sometimes been misunderstood. Researchers once worried that the isoflavones found in soy could cause health issues by mimicking the hormone oestrogen. But, thankfully, more recent studies have found no evidence of this. In fact, modern research suggests that soy could even lower cancer risk and help maintain healthy hearts. Another concern is that growing soya beans leads to deforestation in places like the Amazon. But in fact, nearly 80% of soy produced in the region is used to feed the animals that feed us. If we ate less meat and more soy, we would need to use a lot less land, which would mean less pressure to convert forests and natural habitats for growing food. Like everything in life, beans aren't perfect. For those who haven't had beans consistently in their diet, they may need to introduce them slowly to get used to their bulk and high fibre content. Some people find that conditions like irritable bowel syndrome can be exacerbated by some beans, though soaking and cooking the beans thoroughly may help. Kidney and cannellini beans contain high levels of lectin, a protein that makes them toxic, so they definitely need to be cooked properly to avoid food poisoning if bought dried or raw. On balance, though, whilst beans can't be expected to fix all the ills of the world, given their incredible abundance, nutritional value, environmental benefits and the myriad delicious ways they can be eaten, the future looks decidedly beany.

--

#BBCIdeas

[Same]

Thank you BBC this was very informative.

[joyfulsip]

Beans are a great source of protein. Beans will be in widespread use in the future.

[jhunt]

I eat beans for breakfast and dinner pretty much every day.

[CalmVibesVee]

This is the type of answer I needed! Thank you for the details 👏

[MateoQuixote]

Love that the voiceover is in an American accent, finally some content from you all that I can understand!

[nattyasrat]

we have the power to change how we live. this is great news

[hclyrics]

I'm ready for the future. I'm always thinking about thos beans.

[designbystu]

Would like more of this 'good' news please. ❤

[GeorgeMcDougall-gztp]

I’m not vegan but I love all beans / legumes etc they taste incredible especially stir fried with rice or pasta etc

[BartBVanBockstaele]

In the future? Perhaps, but it most definitely is right now. I can't bear the thought of not eating beans. They are the very basis of my nutrition.

[edgbarra]

Beans are so nutritious, cheap, versatile and delicious 😋

[fmthtm]

I came to realize at some point, eating meat everyday is too much for my digestion so I switch to beans several days a week 🫘And it actually works 🫘

[s.m.m.]

Thank you so much, BBC, for this video animation. I hope that people will soon realize that eating meat is actually not good for our health because it can cause cancer and other severe diseases 😢😢😢
But a great animation to show people how good this is, 👏 👌 😊
Go vegan, save the world 🌎 💚💚💚

[changchen]

In India, we love all kinds of beans and lentils like anything! Well cooked and soaked with tadka and with or without masala, both are great depending on individual's choice 😋

In the Himalayas also, beans are cultivated since recently without any problem with different species and some are tastier and better species of beans too!

Maybe that's why Mr. Bean is so happy and jolly always having no worries of the future and past mostly 😁🫶🏻🤘🏻

P.S. Rajma rice, chana masala, and dal makhani are the best of all on festive occasions! 🙃👌🏻

[silva]

Oh dear! Botanically, beans are fruits, not vegetables.😒🤣🙄😉

[ItsOctoberrdOfficial]

yuck sure hope not. i dont even eat them.