New Study: Beans Prove to be as Filling as Beef

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have confirmed what vegans have known for years: beans are just as filling as beef. The study—which sought to determine if different meals with varying amounts of protein and fiber would have similar satisfying properties—gave participants a meatloaf lunch with 26 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber and a bean-based version with 17 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber before studying levels of satiety and calorie intake for the rest of the day. The results “suggest that a high-protein beef meal compared to a lower protein bean meal with high fiber content are similar in terms of appetite effects.” Participants reported the same level of satisfaction, and ate the same number of calories in a following meal. Now, with all things equal, there’s even more reason to opt for the more compassionate, less ecologically damaging, just-as-satisfying veggie burger.