TikTok is famous for cooking trends (who hasn’t tried it? cucumber saladfeta pasta, or: cottage cheese toast?). As a nutritionist, one trend I’m loving right now is the chunky bean salad. Because if you ask me, beans might be nature’s perfect food. It is true. Beans are a budget pantry staple, an excellent source of protein, fiber and essential nutrients with little to no saturated fat. Simply adding a few canned beans to a few of your meals a week is a low-effort way to seriously impact your risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc— Not many foods can do it alone. So while beans have been the basis of the musical fruit joke forever, they really do offer a ton of nutrients and potential health benefits in a small package. I’m going to convince you why chunky bean salad should be your next meal.
What is a thick bean salad?
If chunky bean salad (or DBS for short) hasn’t come across your for you page yet, here’s the lowdown. Violet Witchel is the self-proclaimed “thick bean salad girl” after videos of her making marinated bean salad during the week went viral on TikTok. A salad typically contains beans, vegetables, herbs, meat and cheese with a homemade vinegar-based dressing. It’s “dense” because it’s based on beans instead of lettuce, which means it packs more protein and is guaranteed to fill you up, and keep you full longer than a regular salad. Plus, since it uses beans as a base instead of lettuce, it can last longer in the fridge. While bean salads (think: 3 pieces of bean salad or pea salad), certainly aren’t a new concept, Witchell just found a new way to rebrand them with flavor combinations like his own. grinder thick bean salad or spicy chipotle chicken.
The appeal of a chunky bean salad is that you can make a huge batch at the beginning of the week and it only gets better as it sits in the fridge and the flavors have time to meld. It gives new meaning to meal preparation. Long gone are the days when baked chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli were the vibe (good riddance). Another plus is that these salads aren’t lettuce-based, so they really make for lunch without the worry of soggy lettuce.
Reasons to love chunky bean salads
Great for gut health
Getting enough fiber in your diet is one of the best ways to love good gut bacteria, but most of us eat far less fiber than we should (just 7 percent of US adults eat enough fiber). They are beans an underrated superfood packed with fiber (about 6 grams per half cup). They’re the perfect food for your gut because beans provide a balanced combination of both soluble and insoluble fiber, each of which works in slightly different ways to support overall gut health (soluble fiber helps moisten stools so they pass more easily, while insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool to move through the colon more quickly).
The fiber contained in beans is also not only functional. they also contain some prebiotics— that give the healthy bacteria in your gut something to eat. As your good gut bacteria ferment that fiber, they create short chain fatty acids which provide energy for cells lining the gut, fight inflammation and strengthen the immune system. Along with a rainbow of colorful fresh vegetables, you’ll get a ton of fiber for lunch (or dinner) as well as antioxidants that keep your gut bacteria happy, too.
Packed with plant-based proteins
There are many good reasons to add more plant-based proteins to your diet. It’s not only better for the planet. has vegetable protein tons of benefits. But it’s not all or nothing. Most of Witchel’s hearty bean salads combine beans with an animal protein like chicken. As a nutritionist, I am often focused on what we can do add to our diets to make them more balanced, rather than cutting out “bad” foods. Adding more beans to your plate alongside your favorite proteins in a salad like DBS means you can have the best of both worlds. Your salad will be packed with plenty of protein, but you’ll also get the health benefits of eating beans.
Provides essential nutrients you may be missing
Beans also contain other important minerals outside of fiber that are typically low, such as potassium, folate, and magnesium. For half a cup, most beans will provide 10 percent (or more) of your daily needs for potassium (helps regulate fluid balance and blood pressure) and magnesium (necessary for strong bones and a healthy immune system). system). Chunky bean salads can also help you get more choline, an essential nutrient that supports proper heart, liver and brain function, as well as metabolism. Like fiber and potassium, most of us don’t eat enough choline. As much as actually 9 out of 10 adults in the US do not consume enough choline in their diet. Pairing beans with animal protein, such as whole eggs, chicken, or steak, can optimize the choline content of your DBS.
Is there a downside to the chunky bean salad trend?
There’s a lot to love about chunky bean salads, but there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, if you’re not used to eating a lot of fiber (especially in one meal), you may develop some unwanted side effects. Beans are rich in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (collectively known as FODMAPs). Eating anything from zero to 100 FODMAPs can cause bloating, gas, and discomfort, especially in people with IBS or other gut sensitivities. To avoid this, try adjusting the portion size of your chunky bean salad by starting small and increasing gradually. When serving a smaller portion, I recommend adding it to a wrap or sandwich (vs. a bowl) to provide enough nutrition for the entire meal.
Another potential downside is that you’ll get tired of eating the same salad every day. Making a big batch of salad for lunch for the week is great in theory (convenience), but by Friday, it can be overwhelming. Your gut microbiome thrives on a varied dietso eating the same thing every day is not the best. But if chunky bean salad is your thing, try rotating the ingredients from week to week to add variety.
Recipes to get you started
Ready to create your own DBS? Here are some of my favorites to get you started.
MEET THE AUTHOR!
Deborah Murphy MS, RDN, registered dietitian and contributing health writer
Deborah Murphy is a registered dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer based in Chicago, IL. She has over 10 years of experience in health and wellness and specializes in plant-based nutrition. Deborah currently writes for publications such as Eat well.
