Legumes are a good source of protein, dietary fiber, starch, minerals, and vitamins (Kutos et al. 2002; Hayat et al. 2014; Venkidasamy et al. 2019). ssss1 shows a compositional comparison of dry beans with major cereal grain crops. In comparison to these cereal grains, beans are relatively high in proteins and dietary fiber while low in carbohydrates and fat. Detailed composition of selected dry beans and pulses in presented in ssss1.

The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for US Americans (DGA) classify mature legumes as a food group with a weekly recommendation of 1.5 cups (equivalent to 37.5 g cooked mature legumes/day) for nonvegetarians and 3 cups (equivalent to 75 g cooked mature legumes/day) for vegetarians (USDHHS and USDA 2021). The most recent DGA (2020–2025), issued in December 2020, make similar recommendations for legume consumption; however, further emphasize on reduction in added sugars and a greater focus on stages of life requirements (infants, children and adolescents, adults, pregnant/lactating women, and older adults).