Episode 30: Eat More Beans
If we all ate less meat and more beans, it would be a terrific win for the environment. And that’s not the only thing to love about beans! They are very good for you. And satisfying. And versatile. They are also culinary mainstays for a huge number of people from a wide variety of cultures. Beans have all the protein that the protein obsessives want right now. And they are very affordable during a time of true economic hardship. Also, they’re delicious.
There’s a small but growing number of people who are passionate about beans’ many amazing qualities, but that number needs to grow. In our latest podcast episode, we went looking for the bean freaks, to learn from them how we can get everyone as excited about beans as they are. Can they help us persuade the world to fall in love with beans?
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“They can be the starch, they can be the protein, they can be both. They can be the garnish. They can be the sauce, they can be the dip, the substance, the grain. They can be so many different things. … I love the taste, the texture, the versatility, the variety. They're filling, you know; I feel satisfied when I eat them. So yeah, they make me feel good.”
Episode guests:
Steve Sando
Steve is the founder of Rancho Gordo, a specialty food company that focuses on growing, importing and promoting heirloom beans. He has also written numerous bean cookbooks including his latest: “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen.”
Joe Yonan
Joe is the James Beard Award-winning author of “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking,” “Cool Beans” and more. He is the former food and dining editor for The Washington Post, where he wrote the Weeknight Vegetarian column from 2013-2025. He currently writes a newsletter called “Eat at Joe’s,” on beehiv.
Andrea Aliseda
Andrea is a food and culture writer, as well as a plant-based recipe developer. She wrote the cookbook “Make It Plant-Based! Mexican.”
Kristen Loria
Kristen started Buttermilk Bean in 2021 and farms at Lo Rida Farm, growing dry beans, popcorn and cover crops in a diverse rotation at White Hawk Ecovillage in Danby, NY. With a master’s degree in plant breeding, Kristen specializes in uniquely beautiful and delicious dry bean varieties, from heirlooms to entirely new varieties being developed on the farm.
Eve Turow-Paul
Eve is an author, thought leader and founder and executive director of Food for Climate League. Her latest book is “Hungry: Avocado Toast, Instagram Influencers, and Our Search for Connection and Meaning.”
FoodPrint resources:
Top photo by Tanya/Adobe Stock.