It’s true lima beans are named after the capital of Peru, a country that’s been cultivating the legume for thousands of years. But lima beans are a food with many monikers. Butter bean is another common name for the large, flat, kidney-shaped bean, thanks to its creamy texture. Chad bean, Rangoon bean and Madagascar bean are some of its other identities.
Whatever you prefer to call the lima bean, it’s a nutritional powerhouse that’s been unfairly maligned as dinnertime torture for children in North America. Lima beans are available fresh in season, dried, canned or frozen, and they’re loaded with health benefits for older adults no matter which way you buy them.
Why Lima Beans Are Good for Older Adults
1. Lima beans may reduce breast cancer mortality.
Lima beans boast high amounts of folate (a B vitamin). Just 1 cup of raw, mature lima beans provides nearly all the folate we need in a day. Though lima beans lose some of the vitamin when cooked, they still offer nearly 40% of what we require when properly prepared.
One study found that all the folate in lima beans may reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer. Lima beans even increased the odds of survival, especially in women who ate such folate-rich foods before diagnosis.
2. Lima beans keep bones strong.
One cup of cooked lima beans contains nearly half the recommended daily intake of manganese. This vital mineral helps our bodies do many things, including forming bones and aiding the absorption of calcium, another critical bone-building mineral. Lima beans are also a good source of zinc, copper, potassium, and magnesium, which are beneficial in maintaining strong bones.
3. Stay lean with lima beans.
Lima beans pack oodles of fiber and protein. One cup of cooked, mature lima beans gives us more than half the fiber we need every day, and a quarter of the protein. High fiber foods help us feel fuller longer, preventing the urge to snack on something unhealthy. It helps that lima beans are also low in fat. Older adults who eat low-fat, high-fiber diets are more likely to achieve sustained weight loss, and lower their risk of type 2 diabetes in the process.
4. Lima beans are good for the heart.
All the potassium in lima beans makes it a heart healthy food. One cup of cooked, unsalted lima beans provides more than a quarter of the potassium our bodies need in a day. It’s no secret that potassium plays a vital role in maintaining normal blood pressure and lowering the risk of heart disease. All the fiber that lima beans pack boosts heart health, too.
5. Lima beans and carbohydrates.
When looking at the ratio of carbs to fat to protein in lima beans, the scale tips undeniably toward carbohydrates. Nearly three-quarters of the calories in one cup of these cooked legumes come from carbohydrates. That doesn’t mean lima beans are the devil for carb counters. That same amount of lima beans only registers as 13 on the Glycemic Index, which means lima beans won’t cause blood sugar to spike.
How to Eat Lima Beans
There’s no question this is one food that needs to be cooked properly. Raw, fresh lima beans, which are available in some regions in the summer, contain linamarin. This chemical compound breaks down in our bodies to create toxic hydrogen cyanide. Boiling fresh lima beans for 10 minutes ensures lima beans are safe to eat, however. Most often, lima beans are sold dried or canned. Rinse canned lima beans well and soak dried versions overnight before cooking.
Lima beans are most famous for sharing the spotlight with sweet corn in succotash, a Thanksgiving side dish staple in some parts of the U.S. In fact, lima beans are most often relegated to supporting role status on dinner plates. They make excellent sides when cooked and served with a bit of butter, or bolstered by herbs and garlic. Throw some into pasta salad for a pop of colour and protein. Lima beans can also be added to soup, whole or pureed, or blitzed in a food processor with lemon juice, garlic and parsley to make a hearty dip.
3 Healthy Recipes With Lima Beans
1. Lima bean dip from Food Network Kitchen
Pulse the lima beans, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor until just combined. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil and process until incorporated but still slightly chunky.
2. Easy Lima Bean from Ahead of Thyme
The creamy texture here comes from the beans, not from any dairy. This dish is 100% vegan.
3. Succotash Salad from The Kitchn
Some succotash calls for heavy cream, but instead, this recipe keeps it light — more salad-like — by tossing the mixture with a few squirts of lemon juice as a stand-in dressing.
