When you hear the word “carbs,” what do you think of? If your mind is set on health, it is likely that your first thought was either whole-wheat bread, brown rice, or wheat pasta. If you’re dying for some junk food though, chips, crackers, and decadent desserts are probably the first things that popped up.

But, what about beans? Beans are some of the healthiest carbs around even though they are the ones least thought of. What makes them so good for you?

• They are low-glycemic.

  This means that eating them isn’t going to send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. Instead, they work to keep the glucose in your bloodstream nice and steady so you don’t have to worry about getting those hard-to-fight sugar cravings or putting yourself at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

• They are high in fiber

  . Fiber is good for you for a couple of reasons. First, it helps move your solid waste through your digestive system so that it can be effectively eliminated and, second, it keeps you feeling fuller longer so you’re not so starving in between meals.

• They contain protein too.

  In addition to the carbs that you’re going to consume by eating beans regularly, you’ll get a good dose of protein too. In fact, one-half cup of most cooked beans contain somewhere around eight grams of protein. So, not only do they supply your muscles with energy, but they also supply them with the nutrients necessary to make them bigger and stronger.

Adding beans into your diet is extremely easy. You can throw them into your salad, put them in your favorite dishes and casseroles, or bake them on an oven sheet and eat them when they are crunchy and warm. It doesn’t matter how you eat them; all that matters is that you do!