Beans and lentils are sometimes forgotten as food cures because they are not the most exciting or tasty foods around but they are extremely nutritious and should be included as a part of a healthy diet. Both beans and lentils are packed full of fiber and protein and contain very little fat. Beans and lentils are rich in both antioxidants as well as phytochemicals and they are beneficial in fighting a number of diseases deemed as chronic such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, inflammatory diseases, osteoporosis and depression.

Black beans are a source of soluble fiber and are effective in lowering bad cholesterol by as high a percentage as 24 percent. By so doing this helps to lower blood pressure, which is always good news. The fiber in black beans is able to sufficiently keep sugar levels to a healthy point and this means that hunger is kept at bay and for diabetics this is good news because the need for insulin on a daily basis is decreased.

Black beans are not the only beans that are chocked full of fiber- so are many other types of beans and peas as well. The most popular kinds of beans and peas include chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), lima beans, fava beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans, pinto beans and great northern beans.

Lentils are rich in many nutrients but are particularly rich when it comes to the B vitamins. Consuming sufficient amounts of B vitamins from food sources such as lentils and other foods can help to prevent heart attacks. Besides B vitamins, lentils are also very rich in protein, fiber and a variety of minerals such as ones that help support the strength of the immune system. Examples of these are copper, zinc and manganese. Iron is another mineral that lentils are rich in.

Miso is not a household food by any means but it is a very healthy one. Miso is a type of soybean paste that is often used as a seasoning for sauces and soups. Miso is rich in substances called isoflavones which are believed to help protect against the development and growth of breast cancer because they inhibit the growth of the blood vessels that are responsible fro the rapid growth of tumors.

Also rich in both iron and calcium (when it is sufficiently processed with the salts of calcium) is soybean curd or tofu. Other soy products that boast high levels of vitaimin A, B6, magnesium and zinc is tempeh. Tempeh has slightly lower levels of fat in it than does tofu. Other soy products that are worth considering because of their nutritional value include soymilk and other soy beverages such as chocolate soymilk, soy nuts, soy yogurt, tofu (as previously mentioned) and a variety of products made from tofu.

All soy products derive from soybeans and this means that they are high in protein content. Protein is made up of all of the essential amino acids that the body needs to function at its healthiest. Soybeans are also extremely rich in all of the B vitamins, as well as fiber, the omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and phosphorus.