I’m continuing our Whole30 “Can I have?” series today with a hot topic: Whole30 Beans Rules.

First question people ask me all the time… wait… “Can you have beans on Whole30?”

The short answer: no. Beans are not approved for your Whole30. The only exception to this rule are green beans, sugar snap peas, and snow peas which are allowed! 

That means you avoid all legumes for the 36 days (30 days of Whole30 plus part of your Reintroduction), then you get to reintroduce them and decide how your body handles it!

The follow up question I get is: “Why are beans not allowed on Whole30?”

When we say beans, we really mean legumes. Legumes include all types of beans, peas, lentils, garbanzos, all forms of soybeans, and peanuts. (Yes, peanuts are a legume!)

I’m going to share below some of the reasoning the Whole30 program gives for excluding legumes from their program. This isn’t the rest of your life- just during the Whole30 and part of the Reintroduction.

Beans are really similar to grains in how they behave… Legumes contain phytates, or anti-nutrients that grab hold of minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium, making them indigestible. They’re not able to be absorbed by our bodies.

The seeds of legume plants store lots of energy in the form of carbohydrates so this seed can sprout! Some of the short-chain carbohydrates aren’t properly absorbed, so they are food for bacteria living in your intestines. The bacteria ferment these carbohydrates, causing the gas and bloating you may be all too familiar with!

Also, if you already have an imbalance in your gut bacteria, this carbohydrate can feed the bad bacteria and contribute to the problem.

Beans are typically seen as a high protein source, but the protein found in meat sources is much denser (and complete!).

Soy specifically contains phytoestrogens and could be hazardous to your hormone balance… The effects aren’t largely known yet, a good reason to skip it!

The lectin in peanuts isn’t destroyed during the cooking phase (like in other beans), so it can get into your gut and even into your bloodstream. This can cause systemic inflammation, something we want to avoid!

What about coffee beans, cocoa beans, and vanilla beans? 

All 3 of these “beans” aren’t actually beans! Since they’re not legumes, they aren’t excluded from your Whole30!

The Reintroduction phase of your Whole30 will help you decide if beans are right for you! Click here to read more about the Whole30 Reintroduction and when to reintroduce beans!

To read way more about the nutrition science behind legumes, I suggest you read the Whole30’s first book: It Starts with Food. Click here to snag it on Amazon!

To read more about Whole30 rules, be sure to check out our “Can I have” series by clicking here.

Do you have any questions about the Whole30 Beans rules? Feel free to ask them in the comments and I will answer them!

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