are beans vegetables?

  • the title pretty much says it. are beans vegetables?
  • They are in the plant kingdom, to be sure, they are starchy, fiber rich and a source of protein but for WW purposes I do not know. They were considered a starch/protein back in the day when I knew the WW plan well (18 years ago I think!).
  • Beans are technically legumes, but I don't know what that means for a WW girl
  • Beans in the pod (snap peas, green beans, snow peas) are vegetables and zero points. Without the pod (peas, lima beans, kidney beans, etc) the points must be counted.

    Either, as well as corn and potatoes do "count" toward your daily 5 in healthy guidelines (unless they've changed the healthy guidelines in the last 5 years).
  • Kaplods is correct. Beans (while an excellent source of all sort of good for us stuff) are to be counted regularly. They're generally something like 3 points for 1/2 cup. But that's actually a pretty filling amount of beans when eaten with other foods.
  • just to be clear, they are counted as veggies in the healthy guidelines?
    jeez i gotta read those guidelines...
    thanks all
    s
  • I know that corn & potatoes can still count towards the GHG... but I honestly never thought about beans.

    You have WI tomorrow right? Can you ask your leader?
  • i do online, no leader. i'll see what i can find...
  • Quote: i do online, no leader. i'll see what i can find...

    Oops! My mistake I'm going to write myself a note and I'll ask my leader on Thursday, but that's a few days off.
  • Dried beans are legumes - actually seeds. They are starch and protein.
  • Corn is a grain and potatoes are a starchy tuber, and in exchange diets both are considered starches. However, both count towards the minimum number of servings of fruit and vegetables in WW healthy guidelines, so beans would very likely fit in that same category. However, since the WW guidelines are fairly modest, unless you are extremely fruit & veggie challenged, it certainly wouldn't hurt to treat beans, corn, & potatoes as non-vegetables. The important part is that the points must be counted unless you're eating them with the pod (which for the mature, starchy legumes would be very difficult).
  • Thanks, Kaplods That was very helpful.
  • thanks, kaplod, yep, i'm trying to get all those veggie servings in (thanks to Faerie's inspiration). Definitely counting points, though!! But you're right, since I'm not veggie-challenged, I may as well not count them as veggies.
    S