Today’s Newsletter Includes:
Why one of the world’s oldest foods might also be its smartest.
A TED Talk worth your time and a friend worth listening to.
Four bean recipes that deserve a permanent spot in your rotation.
Why you should join me on my trips to Africa and Oaxaca.
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If you’ve ever wanted to see the world through its food, culture and the people who make a place special, I’d love to have you join me. I don’t put my name on just any trip. Every one is thoughtfully curated with incredible partners and built around the kinds of experiences you simply can’t recreate on your own. The people who’ve traveled with me have had an absolute blast. So have I. These journeys are one of the most rewarding parts of what I get to do.
Oaxaca: A Deep Dive Into Mexico’s Culinary Capital
Oaxaca is one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet, and this trip is designed to help you experience it beyond the guidebooks. We’ll explore vibrant markets, meet remarkable artisans and cooks, dive into the world of mezcal and share unforgettable meals that tell the story of the region. It’s an immersive experience built with care, curiosity and plenty of fun.
South Africa: A Luxury Culinary Safari
This is one of those trips you’ll be talking about for years. We’ll experience extraordinary restaurants, world-class wines and unforgettable safari adventures while exploring one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a trip that is equal parts adventure, discovery and incredible hospitality.
Paul Newnham and the Global Movement to Eat More Beans
Paul Newnham, a man whose intelligence, passion and commitment continue to inspire me, is the founder and CEO of Beans Is How. I am privileged to serve on its board of directors. Paul recently gave a brilliant TEDx Talk that I think everyone should watch.
We met back in 2017 at SXSW shortly after he founded the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, a secretariat convened to connect NGOs, advocacy groups, civil society, the private sector and United Nations agencies around Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
As the introduction to his TEDx Talk explains, Beans Is How is an ambitious global campaign to double consumption of beans, peas, lentils and other pulses by 2028. More than 140 partner organizations across over 70 countries have come together to amplify the importance of beans as one of the simplest solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Why America Should Eat More Beans
Here are my two cents.
If I could convince America to eat one thing more often, it wouldn’t be kale. It wouldn’t be chia seeds or whatever Instagram wellness influencers are trying to sell you this week. I would choose beans.
Beans have spent decades with an image problem. They are humble in every sense of the word. They’re the sort of food many people associate with hard times rather than good times.
Throughout history, though, nearly every great food culture has understood something America needs to be reminded of. Beans belong at the center of the table.
Beans Have Shaped Food Cultures Around the World
Around the world, they are always there.
Italy has cannellini. France has flageolets and Lentils du Puy. Mexico has hundreds of heirloom varieties. India has an astonishing repertoire of dals. Across the Middle East, chickpeas and fava beans have nourished civilizations for thousands of years. Black-eyed peas helped sustain the American South. Indigenous peoples across North America planted beans alongside corn and squash in the “Three Sisters” system long before Europeans arrived.
This isn’t peasant food.
It’s civilization.
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The Health Benefits of Beans
We spend billions of dollars chasing miracle ingredients while one of the healthiest foods on Earth has been sitting quietly on the bottom shelf of the grocery store for about a dollar a bag.
Beans are nutritional overachievers. They’re packed with protein, fiber, minerals and slow-burning carbohydrates. They satisfy hunger, help stabilize blood sugar, support gut health and have repeatedly been linked to longer, healthier lives. Study the eating habits of populations with exceptional longevity and beans appear with remarkable regularity.
They’re also astonishingly affordable. At a time when grocery bills seem to climb every week, beans remain one of the few foods that deliver extraordinary nutrition for pennies per serving. Families trying to stretch a budget shouldn’t have to choose between eating well and paying the electric bill. Beans help narrow that gap.
Why Beans Are Good for the Planet
On the environmental side, legumes improve the soil they grow in by naturally fixing nitrogen. That reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers. They require relatively little water compared to many other protein sources and generate only a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with raising livestock or poultry.
Farmers benefit.
The land benefits.
We all benefit.
Beans Could Help Feed the Future
We’re heading toward a world of roughly 10 billion people. Feeding everyone nutritious food without exhausting the planet is one of the defining challenges of the coming decades.
There is no single silver bullet, but beans belong on the very short list of foods that genuinely move the needle. They’re inexpensive to grow, adaptable to countless climates, easy to store and endlessly versatile in the kitchen.
Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference
The beauty of beans is that no one has to become a vegetarian to make a difference. Nobody is asking you to swear off barbecue or cancel Thanksgiving.
This isn’t about culinary purity.
It’s about proportion.
Cook a pot of white beans with rosemary and olive oil. Make a smoky bowl of black beans for tacos. Fold lentils into soup. Toss chickpeas into a salad. Serve cassoulet in January. Make a cold bean and tuna salad tomorrow night. Add a handful of peas to dinner instead of another serving of potatoes.
Small choices, repeated millions of times, reshape food systems.
That’s why I keep coming back to the same simple idea. If you want to make the world a little better through your food choices, don’t begin with guilt. Try beginning with dinner.
As my friend Paul likes to say, “Change doesn’t always start with governments. It often starts at the dinner table.”
He’s right.
Every meaningful food revolution began with people deciding what to cook tonight. I think the next one should start with a pot of beans.
Bean Recipes to Get You Started
If you're ready to put more beans on the table, here are a few recipes to help you get started:
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