Can you name a food that is inexpensive, tasty and can help you lose weight?  If you guessed beans, you are right.

Beans are a virtual wonder food.  They are a delicious, low-fat protein that offers a ton of  fiber, B vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium and those all-important phytonutrients you always hear us talking about at SuperFoodsRx.  And they cost less than $2.00 for a pound of dried beans or a 30-ounce can.

They are a real budget stretcher in today's economy.

Not enough to convince you to add more beans to your diet? Perhaps this bit of information will: Adults who eat beans weigh an average of 6.6 pounds less than those who don't eat beans even though bean eaters consumed an additional 200 calories per day! Beans have a high fiber content and are low in fat and they make you feel full quickly.

When you buy dried beans, buy them from a store that has a high turnover. Old beans take forever to cook and may never get tender. If you use canned beans, look for low or no-salt beans or rinse the beans before you add them to your recipe.

Beans can be used in soups, dips, salads and main courses and there are some excellent SuperfoodsRx bean recipes on the SuperFoodsRx website. Or, you can find healthy bean recipes in any of the SuperfoodsRx books.

I like the black bean and mango salsa, the four bean chili and the bean salad with orange Dijon and balsamic dressing. It's the perfect time to enjoy this inexpensive SuperFood food!