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The humble bean is one of the most nutritious and beneficial foods you can eat.  Said to help fight cancer, lower cholesterol and beat heart disease, you have every reason to incorporate this superhero of foods into your daily diet. 

Beans are high in protein, making them an ideal substitute for meat.  Swapping beans for meat, especially red meat, can significantly lower your intake of saturated fat, aiding weight loss and improving overall health. 

High in antioxidants (kidney beans are said to have even more antioxidants than blueberries), beans help fight disease and keep our bodies healthy.  Beans also have a high percentage of phytochemicals, which are said to help stave off cancer.  Added to this are their richness in magnesium, iron and fibre and their low fat content and you really do have a food champion. 

Best of all, they are widely available, cheap and extremely tasty.  If you haven't already dashed out to buy some beans to ingest, read on for some excellent ideas on how to integrate them into your daily diet. 

It's a good idea to browse vegetarian recipes first to find ideas for cooking with beans.  Vegetarians have utilised beans as a healthy alternative to meat for years and so are a trusted place to start. 

Jacket potato fans should consider adding beans to their usual toppings.  If you usually have tuna on your potato, add some kidney beans to boost its nutritional content.  If you are more likely to have a bolognaise topping, substitute this with a 3-bean chilli. 

There are many Greek recipes that are quick, easy and utilise the goodness of beans.  Try making flava (pureed yellow split peas) - it makes a wholesome supper eaten with pitta bread, or maybe a hearty Greek chickpea stew?

Beans make a great substitute for meat in pasta recipes too.  Replace the meat in spaghetti bolognaise with black beans.  This will reduce the fat content and increase the goodness of this Italian staple. 

There are a plethora of different beans available – why not experiment with combinations of each to find your perfect 5-bean chilli?  If the recipe you find has kidney, pinto, butter, borlotti, haricot and cannellini beans, you could try swapping for aduki, black eye, mung, soy and black bean?  Always check for differences in cooking times between beans, however, and cook according to the instructions. 

Beans can be dried and soaked overnight, or for lazy bean eaters, tinned beans are just as nutritious.