Getting comfortable with beans

Start with taste and familiarity

Beans do not have to arrive as a large bowl of unfamiliar food. If you want to use them more often, think about meals you already enjoy: a stew, soup, wrap or a small side dish. Choose a cooked bean or lentil that suits the flavour and texture of that meal. Trying an ingredient should not turn lunch into an endurance test.

Understand why some people notice gas

Beans and other pulses provide fibre and protein. They also contain carbohydrates that can reach the large intestine and be broken down by bacteria, producing gas. People differ in the symptoms they notice. That explanation does not mean all bloating is caused by beans or that discomfort should be ignored. NIDDK guidance recognises both dietary factors and the need for individual assessment when symptoms are troublesome.

Sources: USDA MyPlate: What is MyPlate?; NIDDK: Eating, diet and nutrition for gas symptoms

Keep the first experiment simple

Use fully cooked, ready-to-eat tinned or pouched beans and follow the label. Start with an amount that feels manageable within a familiar dish instead of making several dietary changes at once. If you already know a pulse you tolerate, use that as your starting point. There is no universal serving that guarantees comfort, and this article is not a food-challenge protocol. Do not substitute raw or undercooked kidney beans. Tinned beans have already been cooked; follow the instructions for any dried beans before using them.

Source: FoodSafety.gov: FoodKeeper app

Three ways to try a different texture

Choose the texture you enjoy and season it to suit the dish.

• For a softer texture, mash a small amount of ready-to-eat white beans into an existing soup or sauce.
• For a dish with bite, add a little ready-to-eat lentil or bean mixture to a familiar grain or vegetable bowl.
• For a spread, mash a cooked bean you enjoy and season to suit the meal, checking any added dressing for allergens.

Adjust from what you actually notice

If the change is comfortable and you enjoy it, you can decide whether to include it again. If it is unpleasant, return to foods you tolerate and seek advice if symptoms continue. You do not need to eat a particular bean to make your diet worthwhile. If you follow a prescribed low-fibre or other therapeutic diet, ask the person overseeing that diet before changing it.

Plan for the rest of the pack

Check the storage and use instructions before opening. Transfer unused contents of a tin into a suitable covered container and refrigerate, rather than storing them in the opened can. Label what remains so it is easy to use safely. The Food Standards Agency advises following pack instructions after opening; do not assume every product keeps for the same time.

Source: USDA FSIS: Safe food handling and preparation

Let persistent symptoms change the question

If bloating keeps returning or does not settle, the question becomes "what needs assessing?" rather than "which bean should I try next?" Seek medical advice, particularly if symptoms accompany blood in the stool or unintentional weight loss. Seek urgent help for bloating with vomiting or inability to pass stool or gas, and emergency help for sudden severe abdominal pain.

Source: NIDDK: Symptoms and causes of gas in the digestive tract