Chickpeas are the New Chia, Lentils the Next Kale

Start celebrating the International Year of Pulses now.

Add beans to burritos, tacos and enchiladas, or make your own veggie burgers.

By Janet HelmNov. 19, 2014 | 7:00 a.m. EST+ More

Get ready for a bean renaissance.

The humble bean – once relegated to rice dishes, refried in Mexican fare or stirred into chili – is now at the top of trendy food lists. Chefs are creating high-end menu items featuring beans, and home cooks are finding new ways to love legumes – from making quinoa bowls and meatless casseroles to baking them into brownies.

Beans are also showing up in all sorts of new products, as I witnessed during the recent Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, one of the largest gatherings of food and nutrition professionals hosted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The conference featured an expansive expo floor with more than 350 exhibitors showcasing their latest offerings.

One trend I spotted right away was the prominence of legumes, which include beans, peas and lentils. These plant-based proteins were everywhere – in crackers, chips, pasta, hummus, meat alternatives, nut-free butters and gluten-free baked goods.

I loved the black bean spaghetti I sampled, and was amazed by the varieties of hummus on display – including sriracha carrot hummus made with white beans, wasabi edamame hummus and red lentil chipotle hummus. I was delighted to find bags of heritage dry beans, with funny names such as mung, adzuki and orca.   

Innovative new products were made with legumes, including a substitute for peanut butter made with golden peas, a meat alternative made with chickpeas and pecans, delicious baked goods made with lentil flour, crunchy snacks containing roasted chickpeas, and tasty bars made with pea protein.

This trend will just keep getting bigger. The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. Maybe you don’t even know the word “pulses,” but you certainly will be learning more about these nutritional powerhouses as we near 2016. Pulses are another name for legumes, which are a group of 12 crops that include dry beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. The U.N. is giving pulses international attention for their potential role in feeding the world.

These highly nutritious, sustainably-grown crops are an affordable source of protein for food insecure populations. Pulses have also been studied for their role in reducing disease risk, including heart disease and certain cancers. Fiber-rich beans also help keep you full, and they’re low in fat – so they’re a valuable part of any weight management plan.