July 22, 2025 • 9 mins
Have you been trying unsuccessfully for a while now to eat and like beans? By now, you’ve tasted a few different kinds of beans, but still haven’t found one that you liked. It’s all rather frustrating and disappointing. You’re about ready to give up on them altogether, and move on to other plant-based foods. But beans are supposed to be good for you right?
Yes, they are, and I want to help you enjoy them more. In this episode, I’ll answer a question submitted by a Podcast listener on how to make beans taste better if one doesn’t like them. Let me give you 3 simple strategies you can try if you want to include more beans in your meals but don’t know how to make them tastier and more palatable. So if you’re ready to ‘up’ legumes in your meals, pop me in your earbuds and listen in!
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Learn -> www.plantnourished.com
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Have a question about plant-based diets that you would like answered on the Plant Based Eating Made Easy Podcast? Send it by email (healthnow@plantnourished.com) or submit it by a voice message here: www.speakpipe.com/plantnourished
[Plant Based Diet, Transition Tips, Plantbased, Legumes, Nutrition, Whole Foods, Beginner, Health, Gas, Bloating, Starter Tips]
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Have you been trying unsuccessfullyfor a while now to eat and like beans?
By now you've tasted a fewdifferent kinds of beans but still
haven't found one that you liked.
It's all rather frustratingand disappointing.
You're about ready to give upon them altogether and move
on to other plant-based foods.
(00:22):
But beans are supposed tobe good for you, right?
So can anything be done tomake beans less gag-worthy?
Yes, there is and I wantto tell you about it.
In this episode, let me give you threesimple strategies you can try if you
want to include more beans in yourplant-based meals but don't know how
(00:43):
to make them more palatable and tasty.
So if you're ready to ' up'legumes in your meals, pop me
in your earbuds and listen in.
Welcome to the Plant BasedEating Made Easy Podcast.
I'm your host, Anna Tseng, plant-basedRegistered Dietitian and Transition Coach.
(01:04):
Hi Friend, do you want to regain yourhealth with plant-based eating but feel
overwhelmed and lost about how to do it?
Do you feel it'll be hard to changeyour meat-heavy diet and impossible
with working, running the home,or chasing after the grandkids?
If so, you're in the right place.
Here you'll find simple strategies,clear nutrition guidance and
(01:25):
practical tips to help you thriveplant-powered with more energy.
So, if you're ready to ditchthe guesswork and transform
your health the stress-free way.
Cozy up now with a hot cup of tea orlisten while you walk and let me show
you how doable plant-based eating can be.
Let's do this!
(01:46):
Hi, Friend, I've got somethingexciting to announce.
Starting this episode, I'm launchinga fun Summer series on this podcast.
I've received many great questionsfrom my Community so far, so I've
decided to spotlight some of theseCommunity questions on this show.
This way, as I address these questions,more people can benefit from them.
(02:10):
These questions come from podcastlisteners, my email Community,
and those in my free Beginners forPlant Based Diet Success Facebook
Community, now over 26 K strong.
So after listening to today'sepisode, stay tuned so you'll be able
to catch all the episodes in thisSummer series and benefit from it.
(02:31):
Now let's dive into today's topic.
In my Community, many of whom arejust beginning their plant-based
diet journeys, I see many strugglingin the bean department because
they are not in love with them.
In some cases, it has become somuch of a challenge that they want
to give up on beans altogether.
(02:52):
That's why in this episode, I'm excitedto spotlight and answer a question
I received from a listener on thePlant Based Eating Made Easy Podcast.
Her name is Deanna, and she wantedto know this, " How can I make beans
taste better if I don't like them?
My biggest issue is beans.
I just don't like them.
(03:13):
It seems they're unavoidablewhen eating this way."
Well, Deanna is not the onlyone facing this challenge.
There are others struggling with this,like this member of my Free Beginners
for Plant Based Diet Success Community.
She wrote that her biggest challenge wasthis, "Planning for protein, when I very
(03:33):
strongly dislike most beans and legumes."Another member commented to say, I'm
allergic to peanuts and pine nuts.
Beans make me gag.
It's a texture thing,and I don't like kale.
Well, that's why I'm choosingthis listener question to answer,
because I know many othersin my Community can benefit.
(03:56):
The first suggestion Iwould like to make is this.
Try beans in a different way.
Let me explain what I mean.
If your problem with beans is itstexture, meaning that eating them makes
you feel like gagging, then one wayto help make them more enjoyable is
to simply try eating beans preparedor cooked a different way, instead of
(04:18):
just as the whole beans themselves.
Know that beans come inall shapes and sizes.
Some, like fava beans or broadbeans, are much bigger, while
others are tiny, like mung beans.
Different bean varieties can alsodiffer in texture depending on
how they are prepared, and somecan really taste quite different.
(04:40):
Beans can also be prepared in a varietyof ways, such as pureed into refried
beans or made into hummus or bean burgers.
In the case of my listener Deanna, shehad told me that so far in her diet
transition, she has only had mostlyblack beans and hadn't tried lentils yet.
But, she did say sheenjoyed hummus and falafels.
(05:02):
To me, that's a great start.
I'm glad to see that she hasalready ventured out to try a few
bean-based items like hummus andfalafels and has enjoyed them so far.
A second strategy you can useto make beans taste better is
this, uplevel the cooking water.
Usually, when we cook up driedbeans, we tend to just cook the
(05:24):
pre-soaked dried beans in water.
Well, if you would like yourcooked beans to be tastier and more
flavorful, you can add into thecooking water a few simple aromatics.
Some examples are half an onion,some fresh garlic, and even
vegetables like carrots and celery.
Adding in some fresh or dried herbscan also make a difference, such as
(05:47):
a bay leaf, rosemary, sage, or thyme.
There are two key benefits to doing this.
The first is that as the beans arecooking to tenderness, they will be
absorbing the flavors from the cookingliquid, and so will turn out more
flavorful in the end when cooked.
The second key benefit is an added perk.
(06:08):
At the end of the bean cooking period, thecooking water itself turns into a fragrant
broth that can be used later as soupstock or vegetable broth for other dishes.
Remember, if you want to keep yourcooked beans salt-free, don't add
in any salt to the cooking water.
Now here's a third strategy youcan try to make beans taste better.
(06:30):
Season after cooking.
Even if you choose to just cook your beansin plain unsalted cooking water, which
is what I often do, know that there areways to season the beans on the other end.
One way would be to add fresh ordried herbs and seasonings like ground
cumin, garlic powder, onion powder,paprika, or even curry powder or Cajun.
(06:54):
Another way to season the cookedor canned beans would be to
add a sauce or dressing on top.
Now the best dressings would be those thatare both oil-free and refined-sugar-free.
These are not hard to make though,and would be much healthier than
many store-bought dressings.
For example, you can make a simplecreamy nut or seed dressing, a
(07:14):
lemon tahini sauce, or a berry-basedoil-free vinaigrette dressing.
I encourage you to try a fewdifferent dressings to find at
least two to three that you canrotate and use on beans to enjoy.
So today we talked about threesimple strategies you can use to
make beans more enjoyable, especiallyif you are moving into a whole
(07:34):
food, plant-based diet lifestyle.
These are to 1.
Try beans in a different way, 2.
Up level the cooking water, and 3.
Season after cooking.
Now here is an action step you can take.
This coming week, pick one ofthese strategies and give it a try.
If you started this episode feelingdiscouraged because you're not a bean
(07:57):
fan and didn't think you will everbe, I hope you are leaving now feeling
much more encouraged and excitedto try some of these ideas shared.
Now I've only briefly touched onthree strategies in today's episode
to overcome the bean challenge.
Know that there are actually manymore smart ways you can add legumes
(08:18):
into meals and prepare and seasonthem to be tasty and flavorful.
If you want to learn more smartstrategies, flavoring hacks, and gain
meal ideas in easy to make plant-basedrecipes, come and check out the online
Plant Powered Life Transformation Course.
This Course will give you more tipsand tricks for creating delicious
(08:38):
plant-based meals, as well as mealideas, inspiration, and ways to use
not only beans and other legumes, butalso other key plant-based ingredients
like whole grains and vegetables.
Get more details about this Courseat plantnourished.com/ ppltcourse
or see the link in the show notes.
(09:02):
Thank you for listening to the PlantBased Eating Made Easy Podcast.
If this podcast has helped you,please take a moment to rate and
leave a written review on theApple Podcast app or on iTunes.
Knowing how this podcast hasmade a difference in your life
never fails to light me up.
I may also select your reviewto be read on this show.
Remember that moving to plant-basedeating can be simple and doable,
(09:26):
even with your existing healthchallenges and busy lifestyle.
If you have a plant-based diet questionyou'd like me to answer on this show,
share that question with me using thecontact options in the show notes.
Thanks for joining me today andI can't wait to connect with
you again in the next episode.
Until next time, keep plant-focusedand thriving, my Friend!
Have you been trying unsuccessfullyfor a while now to eat and like beans?
By now you've tasted a fewdifferent kinds of beans but still
haven't found one that you liked.
It's all rather frustratingand disappointing.
You're about ready to give upon them altogether and move
on to other plant-based foods.
(00:22):
But beans are supposed tobe good for you, right?
So can anything be done tomake beans less gag-worthy?
Yes, there is and I wantto tell you about it.
In this episode, let me give you threesimple strategies you can try if you
want to include more beans in yourplant-based meals but don't know how
(00:43):
to make them more palatable and tasty.
So if you're ready to ' up'legumes in your meals, pop me
in your earbuds and listen in.
Welcome to the Plant BasedEating Made Easy Podcast.
I'm your host, Anna Tseng, plant-basedRegistered Dietitian and Transition Coach.
(01:04):
Hi Friend, do you want to regain yourhealth with plant-based eating but feel
overwhelmed and lost about how to do it?
Do you feel it'll be hard to changeyour meat-heavy diet and impossible
with working, running the home,or chasing after the grandkids?
If so, you're in the right place.
Here you'll find simple strategies,clear nutrition guidance and
(01:25):
practical tips to help you thriveplant-powered with more energy.
So, if you're ready to ditchthe guesswork and transform
your health the stress-free way.
Cozy up now with a hot cup of tea orlisten while you walk and let me show
you how doable plant-based eating can be.
Let's do this!
(01:46):
Hi, Friend, I've got somethingexciting to announce.
Starting this episode, I'm launchinga fun Summer series on this podcast.
I've received many great questionsfrom my Community so far, so I've
decided to spotlight some of theseCommunity questions on this show.
This way, as I address these questions,more people can benefit from them.
(02:10):
These questions come from podcastlisteners, my email Community,
and those in my free Beginners forPlant Based Diet Success Facebook
Community, now over 26 K strong.
So after listening to today'sepisode, stay tuned so you'll be able
to catch all the episodes in thisSummer series and benefit from it.
(02:31):
Now let's dive into today's topic.
In my Community, many of whom arejust beginning their plant-based
diet journeys, I see many strugglingin the bean department because
they are not in love with them.
In some cases, it has become somuch of a challenge that they want
to give up on beans altogether.
(02:52):
That's why in this episode, I'm excitedto spotlight and answer a question
I received from a listener on thePlant Based Eating Made Easy Podcast.
Her name is Deanna, and she wantedto know this, " How can I make beans
taste better if I don't like them?
My biggest issue is beans.
I just don't like them.
(03:13):
It seems they're unavoidablewhen eating this way."
Well, Deanna is not the onlyone facing this challenge.
There are others struggling with this,like this member of my Free Beginners
for Plant Based Diet Success Community.
She wrote that her biggest challenge wasthis, "Planning for protein, when I very
(03:33):
strongly dislike most beans and legumes."Another member commented to say, I'm
allergic to peanuts and pine nuts.
Beans make me gag.
It's a texture thing,and I don't like kale.
Well, that's why I'm choosingthis listener question to answer,
because I know many othersin my Community can benefit.
(03:56):
The first suggestion Iwould like to make is this.
Try beans in a different way.
Let me explain what I mean.
If your problem with beans is itstexture, meaning that eating them makes
you feel like gagging, then one wayto help make them more enjoyable is
to simply try eating beans preparedor cooked a different way, instead of
(04:18):
just as the whole beans themselves.
Know that beans come inall shapes and sizes.
Some, like fava beans or broadbeans, are much bigger, while
others are tiny, like mung beans.
Different bean varieties can alsodiffer in texture depending on
how they are prepared, and somecan really taste quite different.
(04:40):
Beans can also be prepared in a varietyof ways, such as pureed into refried
beans or made into hummus or bean burgers.
In the case of my listener Deanna, shehad told me that so far in her diet
transition, she has only had mostlyblack beans and hadn't tried lentils yet.
But, she did say sheenjoyed hummus and falafels.
(05:02):
To me, that's a great start.
I'm glad to see that she hasalready ventured out to try a few
bean-based items like hummus andfalafels and has enjoyed them so far.
A second strategy you can useto make beans taste better is
this, uplevel the cooking water.
Usually, when we cook up driedbeans, we tend to just cook the
(05:24):
pre-soaked dried beans in water.
Well, if you would like yourcooked beans to be tastier and more
flavorful, you can add into thecooking water a few simple aromatics.
Some examples are half an onion,some fresh garlic, and even
vegetables like carrots and celery.
Adding in some fresh or dried herbscan also make a difference, such as
(05:47):
a bay leaf, rosemary, sage, or thyme.
There are two key benefits to doing this.
The first is that as the beans arecooking to tenderness, they will be
absorbing the flavors from the cookingliquid, and so will turn out more
flavorful in the end when cooked.
The second key benefit is an added perk.
(06:08):
At the end of the bean cooking period, thecooking water itself turns into a fragrant
broth that can be used later as soupstock or vegetable broth for other dishes.
Remember, if you want to keep yourcooked beans salt-free, don't add
in any salt to the cooking water.
Now here's a third strategy youcan try to make beans taste better.
(06:30):
Season after cooking.
Even if you choose to just cook your beansin plain unsalted cooking water, which
is what I often do, know that there areways to season the beans on the other end.
One way would be to add fresh ordried herbs and seasonings like ground
cumin, garlic powder, onion powder,paprika, or even curry powder or Cajun.
(06:54):
Another way to season the cookedor canned beans would be to
add a sauce or dressing on top.
Now the best dressings would be those thatare both oil-free and refined-sugar-free.
These are not hard to make though,and would be much healthier than
many store-bought dressings.
For example, you can make a simplecreamy nut or seed dressing, a
(07:14):
lemon tahini sauce, or a berry-basedoil-free vinaigrette dressing.
I encourage you to try a fewdifferent dressings to find at
least two to three that you canrotate and use on beans to enjoy.
So today we talked about threesimple strategies you can use to
make beans more enjoyable, especiallyif you are moving into a whole
(07:34):
food, plant-based diet lifestyle.
These are to 1.
Try beans in a different way, 2.
Up level the cooking water, and 3.
Season after cooking.
Now here is an action step you can take.
This coming week, pick one ofthese strategies and give it a try.
If you started this episode feelingdiscouraged because you're not a bean
(07:57):
fan and didn't think you will everbe, I hope you are leaving now feeling
much more encouraged and excitedto try some of these ideas shared.
Now I've only briefly touched onthree strategies in today's episode
to overcome the bean challenge.
Know that there are actually manymore smart ways you can add legumes
(08:18):
into meals and prepare and seasonthem to be tasty and flavorful.
If you want to learn more smartstrategies, flavoring hacks, and gain
meal ideas in easy to make plant-basedrecipes, come and check out the online
Plant Powered Life Transformation Course.
This Course will give you more tipsand tricks for creating delicious
(08:38):
plant-based meals, as well as mealideas, inspiration, and ways to use
not only beans and other legumes, butalso other key plant-based ingredients
like whole grains and vegetables.
Get more details about this Courseat plantnourished.com/ ppltcourse
or see the link in the show notes.
(09:02):
Thank you for listening to the PlantBased Eating Made Easy Podcast.
If this podcast has helped you,please take a moment to rate and
leave a written review on theApple Podcast app or on iTunes.
Knowing how this podcast hasmade a difference in your life
never fails to light me up.
I may also select your reviewto be read on this show.
Remember that moving to plant-basedeating can be simple and doable,
(09:26):
even with your existing healthchallenges and busy lifestyle.
If you have a plant-based diet questionyou'd like me to answer on this show,
share that question with me using thecontact options in the show notes.
Thanks for joining me today andI can't wait to connect with
you again in the next episode.
Until next time, keep plant-focusedand thriving, my Friend!
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