Can we talk about beans? I’ve heard it said that a great many cultures tell a story that highlights the magical properties of beans. In English-speaking nations, for example, the story is Jack and the Beanstalk. Beans made Jack strong enough to become a giant killer!

Why do you suppose that is? Here’s my theory. Language tells all kinds of truths. Even though we’re just starting to learn about the physiological connection between the gut and brain, we’ve been saying that anxiety gives us butterflies in our stomachs for centuries, at least. You might tell a friend that sudden bad news felt like a punch in the stomach. Human beings saw a connection long before we could actually explain it. The words we use to tell stories, share ideas, and relate insights are clues.

Long before we began to understand the chemistry of beans, or even that there was such a thing as chemistry!, we understood that beans were nutritious. We may not have called them that, of course, but we saw which neighbors were strongest and healthiest. You knew which villagers seemed to be less susceptible to illness, and you knew who grew the best bean crops. You could see it with your own eyes. Somebody in England decided to write a story about what they saw, and called it Jack & the Beanstalk. Other people in other countries noted the same thing, and they wrote stories of their own.

Want a simple recipe? 1 cup of dry white beans, 1 large can of tomato sauce, 1 large onion, peeled and diced, 1 quart water, and 1 crockpot. Let it cook from morning until night, say 6-8 hours, and you will be glad you did.

So what is it about beans? It’s this: Beans are the only food on the planet that’s rich in both fiber and protein, at the same time. These are high-quality, high-fiber carbohydrates, with an intact fiber matrix that slows your rate of absorption to give you adequate time to break down and metabolize your meal. In this category, you’ve also got fruits and vegetables, and grains (whole, of course). And you’ve got beans, lots of ‘em. Pole beans, green beans, chickpeas, peanuts, fava beans, Great Northern beans, lima beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, red lentils, green lentils, French lentils, adzuki beans and more.

In the high-protein category, there’s the 2-legged variety, such as chicken, turkey, quail, and so on. Then there’s fish, whether from the bottom of the pond or the top, the high seas or the mountain lakes, and those with skeletons on the outside, and those with skeletons on the inside. Then there are the 4-legged varieties that include pork, beef, bison, venison, and so on. Bugs, turtles, alligator, and other members of the animal kingdom are other examples of high-protein items. And don’t forget the wide variety of eggs, including fish roe. As nutritious as any of these might be, they haven’t got a speck of fiber. Which is why I hear lots of complaints about constipation in folks who start on the Atkins diet.

So you’ve got high-fiber foods, and you’ve got high-protein foods. But beans are the only category of food that is high in both fiber and protein. There is actually something magical about beans. Just ask Jack.