Since the 1930s, people have been talking about working smarter, not harder. Originally, it was about workers producing more with less effort. Now we say it about everything. It’s often used when we talk about reaching our goals. Everyone is looking for easier ways to reach our goals.
A new study has found a way to lower cholesterol and lose weight without cutting calories. As being hungry is often one of the stumbling blocks of sticking to a diet, this could be a big breakthrough.
In a study, men who replaced some red meat with beans lost weight without reducing their caloric intake. They also had lower LDL cholesterol in just six weeks. The study used 102 healthy men split into two groups. The meat group ate 760 grams of red and processed meat a week. The legume group at 200 grams of red and processed meat a week and 560 grams of beans.
“What could be an easier diet upgrade than opening a can of beans?” said study author Yanni Papanikolaou of Nutritional Strategies Inc. “Canned beans are the simple swap that can improve American diets. Plus, they are extremely affordable, always in season and ready to use, not to mention versatile and delicious.”
Legumes, including beans, are fiber and protein-rich. The men were getting as much protein as usual, but much more fiber. While the men in the legume group ate about 240 calories more a day, they lost two pounds over the six weeks — despite not being on a diet. The men in the meat group lost half a pound. Men in the legume group also saw their levels of total and LDL cholesterol drop.
Easy ways to make the swap are to swap half the ground beef in tacos for spiced black beans. You can also mash black beans and add them to ground beef to make hamburger patties that are only half meat. You can add white beans to marinara or bolognese when you’re making low-carb pasta. Beans are an excellent way of making salads more satisfying without meat.
One benefit that this study didn’t look at is the cost of life difference. The average cost of dried beans of any variety in the U.S. in June of 2025 was $1.58. The average cost of ground beef in June 2025 was $6.10. If you replace half the red meat in your diet with beans, you will save a lot of money over time. Those savings add up!
There were limitations to the study. The trial was only six weeks. It only used men. The men self-reported their diet, so it might not have been correct. And men in the legume group reported exercising more. That could have caused the health benefits. However, they may have exercised more because of the extra fiber and plant protein. Longer trials with more people and women would help clear up the questions.
