ARE GREEN BEANS PALEO?
The Paleo List Answers:Are GREEN BEANS PALEO?
One of the most common requests we’ve received over the last couple months have been green beans. Are they a bean or are they a vegetable? Are they gut irritants or harmless? Alisa at paleoinpdx provided some insight into green beans in today’s article.
What are Green Beans?
Also known as string and snap beans, green beans are immature pods picked from a bean plant. These edible pods belong to the legume family (Fabaceae) and scientifically, are known as Phaseolus vulgaris. Unlike other legumes, green beans are not consumed in their dried form, but rather, are picked unripe and eaten fresh.
Nutritionally, green beans contain vitamins K, C and A, manganese, thiamine, vitamin B6, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. A one-cup serving contains 31 calories, 0.2 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1.8 grams of protein.
Are Green Beans Paleo?
Legumes are not recommended as part of a paleo diet because they contain problematic lectins and phytates, but green beans are an exception. Supposedly, the greener the plant, the less lectins and phytic acid it contains and luckily, green beans contain very little of both. Not only that, but green beans have been bred to be digestible and cooked prior to maturation. So, the answer is yes, green beans are paleo.
Please know, there are few people who do experience digestive distress from green beans, but this is not the case for most people. If green beans do not sit well with you though, don’t eat them!
What are your thoughts on green beans? Have you found them to be problematic?
Are you struggling with which foods are Paleo? Do you need help planning some Paleo meals? Check out this great Paleo cookbook:
