As a physician and diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine with nearly four decades of experience helping people in the commonwealth improve their health and quality of life, I was pleased to read that Massachusetts Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem has introduced the “Bean New Deal” bill, S.922. I wholeheartedly support this effort to ensure that plant-based protein is offered at meals served in state-operated dining facilities, public colleges and at state nutrition assistance programs. Heart disease, cancer and diabetes — diseases strongly linked to diet — are among the leading causes of death in Massachusetts.
Experience with my patients has repeatedly shown the benefits of eating plant-based foods, especially beans, legumes and peas highlighted in this bill.
This proposal specifies nutrition education and more healthful meals for people who need it most, including low-income seniors in the Senior Nutrition Program. Children would also benefit as the legislation provides for plant-based nutrition education in health and physical education through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Plant-based diets have been shown to help improve childhood obesity, an epidemic that increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, conditions that are sadly becoming more and more common in Massachusetts children. A low-fat, plant-based diet also lowers the risk of heart disease in obese children by improving their weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to a Cleveland Clinic Study.
As a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, I serve on its Committee on Nutrition and Physical Activity. I enjoy coaching patients to achieve their best function despite chronic pain or physical impairments using all the pillars of lifestyle medicine, including diet’s impact on health and performance.
Why is this bill important? As I tell my patients, small swaps like this in which animal proteins are replaced by more healthful plant proteins add up and make a significant impact over time. Beans, peas and lentils are excellent sources of protein. Consuming high-fiber foods of this sort helps you feel satiated. Their low-calorie density makes it easier to shed pounds without needing to restrict portions or feel hungry.
In fact, the committee of our nation’s leading nutrition experts tasked with creating the updated dietary guidelines for Americans recently proposed something similar. The advisory committee’s scientific report recommended emphasizing beans, peas and lentils while reducing consumption of red and processed meats.
Overwhelming evidence supports the role of these foods as well as fruits, vegetables and whole grains in supporting cardiovascular health, promoting a healthy body weight, and reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cancer and other serious conditions.
This bill would also benefit our farmers as meals would include crops grown here, including melons, vegetables, nuts and our famous cranberries, all top crops in Massachusetts.
Beans, peas and lentils provide an abundance of fiber, a nutrient in which most of my patients are deficient. Beans and legumes are low in saturated fat and have no cholesterol, unlike the animal products they often replace.
Plant-based sources of protein like legumes have regularly been linked to a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, unlike red and processed meats, which are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
I urge our state Legislature to rise in support of Sen. Creem’s effort to promote public health and make it easier for all citizens of the commonwealth to access these healthy, low-fat, fiber-rich foods.
Dr. Janet Limke is a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and vice chair of the Massachusetts Medical Society Committee on Nutrition and Physical Activity.
‘Bean New Deal’ bill good dietary medicine
