Appetite control is the Holy Grail for weight control and beans prove to be a winning food for keeping hunger at bay. In a systematic review of all available clinical trials, scientists concluded that people felt about 31% fuller after eating an average of 160 grams of beans (a bit more than ¾ a cup) relative to a bean-free control diet.

These results are not surprising given that beans are home to a number of hunger-quieting features including:

• More fiber than any other food group. (Fiber fills us up for zero calories, in addition to fighting fat through several additional pathways.)
• Lots of lean protein. (Protein is Mother Nature’s diet pill – keeping hunger at bay longer than any other nutrient.)
• A big dose of difficult-to-digest, “low-glycemic” carbohydrate. (Low-glycemic carbs safeguard against sudden drops in blood sugar that incite hunger.)