- Categories:
- Food & Beverage
- Tags:
- Healthy FoodVegetable
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every July 3
- Holiday emoji:
- 🫘
National Eat Your Beans Day arrives every July 3, inviting everyone to embrace the humble yet mighty legume. From black beans to lentils, they’re packed with protein and fiber. Explore delicious recipes, discover new varieties, and share your favorite bean-based dishes with friends and family.
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Expected National Eat Your Beans Day Deals
While we await official 2027 promotions to drop, history shows that National Eat Your Beans Day often inspires grocery store sales and restaurant specials. Look for discounts on canned and dried beans at major retailers like Walmart and Target. Fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle and Qdoba may offer promotions on bean-heavy menu items like burritos and bowls. Specialty food stores like Whole Foods Market often highlight organic and heirloom bean varieties. Keep an eye out for local eateries and cafes featuring unique bean dishes. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as July 3 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Eat Your Beans Day
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #EatYourBeansDay. Share vibrant photos of your favorite bean recipes, from hearty chilis to fresh salads.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #EatYourBeansDay. Film quick recipe tutorials, bean-themed challenges, or funny videos about your love for legumes.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #EatYourBeansDay. Share family-friendly bean recipes, health benefits, and engage with community discussions.
National Eat Your Beans Day Hero
George Washington Carver
History of National Eat Your Beans Day
Though the exact date and reason for National Eat Your Beans Day being made a holiday are not known, we do know that the history of the bean itself predates even the invention of the pots used to cook beans. Bean cultivation dates back as early as 7,000 years ago, making it a staple that has stood the test of time, and we’re not surprised. With amazing health benefits, legumes are plant-based, protein-packed powerhouses of nutrition. So this also means that they’re for everyone, no matter the diet or lifestyle choice. It’s very rare to find a person allergic to beans too, though some legumes can trigger allergic reactions, such as peanuts.
Beans are originally from wild vines which grow in Central and South America. This is known as the common bean, and since then, thousands of bean varieties exist today and are cultivated all over the world. They are one of the most versatile crops and can be grown almost anywhere. 5,000 years ago the lima bean and other varieties were a popular favorite among the Incas and Aztecs, and the popularity of beans is so much so that they are worth a mention in Homer’s “Iliad,” where he uses beans as a metaphor. Ancient Egyptians seem to have also been partial to beans and lentils, as paintings and physical evidence shows that bodies were buried with beans, to nourish them on their journey to the afterlife. By the 1500s, with the advent of trade via ships, beans began to reach all the corners of the globe and more varieties began to be cultivated. Though often viewed as a poor man’s food, beans have been an important source of nourishment for people in dire circumstances; such as the soldiers who fought in the First and Second World Wars, or the Europeans who were dying out due to the spread of the plague in Europe, during the Middle Ages. Who would have thought beans could be such lifesavers.
National Eat Your Beans Day timeline
The French begin to add chickpeas to their vegetable soup, making it a heartier meal in every way.
Emperor Charlemagne orders the cultivation of chickpeas to save people from the ravage of war, and it works.
With the increase in trade, beans begin to be traded all over the world.
Beans become the poor man’s meat during the Great Depression in America, enabling many families to survive.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Eat Your Beans Day
Local restaurants and cafes can feature special bean-centric menus, offering dishes like black bean burgers, lentil soups, or unique bean salads. Grocery stores can create eye-catching displays of various dried and canned beans, offering recipe cards and pairing suggestions. Food bloggers and culinary schools might host online cooking classes demonstrating diverse bean preparations. Consider partnering with local food banks to highlight the affordability and nutritional benefits of beans for community health initiatives, perhaps by organizing a ‘bean drive’.
National Eat Your Beans Day FAQs
When is National Eat Your Beans Day?
National Eat Your Beans Day 2026 falls on Friday, July 3. It’s the perfect occasion to kick off a summer weekend with some healthy, delicious legumes.
How many types of beans are there?
There are thousands of bean varieties cultivated worldwide, with about 400 types commonly recognized. In the U.S., popular choices include kidney, pinto, black, navy, and garbanzo beans, each offering unique flavors and textures for diverse culinary uses.
Are beans good for you?
Yes, beans are incredibly nutritious, packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are known to support heart health, aid in digestion, and help manage blood sugar levels, making them a cornerstone of a balanced diet.
What is the difference between beans and legumes?
All beans are legumes, but not all legumes are beans. Legumes are plants that produce pods with seeds inside, including beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts. ‘Beans’ specifically refers to the seeds from certain legume plants, typically larger and kidney-shaped.
National Eat Your Beans Day Activities
Eat beans
Yes, you guessed it. Sometimes simplicity is everything. In this case, we’re keeping it real simple, by telling you to go eat some beans — green, black, red, or yellow — the choice is yours. Boil them, bake them, saute them, mush them, or eat them raw; beans are bound to have your body thanking you for years to come.
Grow your own beanstalk
Though we cannot guarantee a hen laying golden eggs at the end of it, we can guarantee that there’s nothing better than the feeling of eating your own home-grown produce. And what’s more, the golden glow of health which your beans will bring you is worth far more than any golden egg-laying hen!
Fix up a care package
One of the things we love about beans is how affordable (we daresay cheap even) they are. So why not take the time to gather some different types of legumes, a hand-written little booklet of recipes, and give them to a family who may need extra beans.
5 Recipes We Bet You Never Thought Used Beans
Beanie brownies
These ooey-gooey delicious brownies come with a surprising twist — black beans are the star ingredient!
Honey-roasted chickpeas
Step aside, caramel popcorn, as this delicious, crunchy snack takes over the coffee table at your next movie night.
Navy bean pesto
Pureed navy beans with any greens can make an amazing and hearty pesto sauce.
Bean burger
All the flavor, all the protein, but not meat. Perfect for everyone, even those hardcore meat lovers.
Alfredo sauce
White beans can make the perfect, silky alfredo sauce, which will cause all to go “mama mia”!
Why We Love National Eat Your Beans Day
Beans are healthy
If we have not said this enough times already, we will say it again — beans are so good for you. Not only are they amazing sources of protein and fiber, but they also contain folic acid, iron, potassium, and calcium, all of which are beneficial to prevent all sorts of medical conditions.
Beans have a variety
Some say that there are as many as 4,000 varieties of beans out there. If that doesn’t inspire you to start exploring and experimenting in the kitchen, we don’t know what will. Trying out different beans can also bring you one step closer to exploring a whole new cuisine or culture, and variety is the spice of life, after all.
Beans are cheap
We’re glad that beans were overlooked by the rich snobs throughout history so that we all can enjoy the delicious benefits of beans without feeling the pinch in our pockets. For something to be cheap and nutritious almost stretches belief.
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