Three Reasons Beans Are Good for the Planet

When you’re planning dinner (and breakfast and lunch and snacks) there’s a lot to think about. Is it healthy? Is it in your budget? Will your picky toddler actually eat it? It can be overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like just too much to add sustainability to that list. But choosing a plant-based protein when you can is a pretty easy way to make a delicious choice that just happens to also be sustainable.

Here are three great, planet-friendly reasons to choose beans:

Beans use less water and energy than animal protein.

Human beings need protein and producing protein takes both fresh water and energy – two critical resources that are in finite supply. But when it comes to planet-friendly protein alternatives, beans use less and do more. They need less water and energy than animal proteins, meaning they can feed more people using fewer of the Earth’s most precious resources.

 

Beans return nitrogen to the soil.

Why does that matter? Two big reasons: nitrogen in the atmosphere is a major contributor to climate change. Nitrogen in the soil, however, is what makes plants grow. So, a crop like beans takes nitrogen out of the atmosphere where it can cause damage and puts it back into the soil to keep it healthy. That can help farmers reduce the amount of fertilizer they use–another win for the planet.

 

Beans are packed in recyclable cans.

Modern packaging makes it possible to ship food all around the planet and get it safely into billions of kitchens, but it’s also filling up our landfills and even our oceans. Metal cans, like the ones we use to pack BUSH’S^® BEST beans,  are infinitely recyclable, saving energy and helping to save our oceans and our planet.

You don’t have to go 100% meatless to do your part for the planet. Instead, flex your flexitarian muscles by adding beans a few meals or a few days every week.