or as a replacement for traditional starches like rice corn or potatoes they work well as a side dish or incorporated into recipes for example in soups i often use beans instead of pasta or noodles or toss them in a salad instead of quinoa ive even served stirfrys over a small bed of beans rather than brown rice best superfoods for weight loss quicklist 3category 5 easy swaps to get more fiber and boost weight loss title swap dairy for beansurltextpureed whole beans or bean flours like fava black or white bean flour make ideal bases or thickeners for creamy sauces and soups and using them instead of whole milk or cream along with water can slash hundreds of excess calories in many dishes mashed beans can also take the place of cheeses for example in veggie lasagna i trade ricotta cheese for mashed white beans seasoned with garlic and italian herbs quicklist 4category 5 easy swaps to get more fiber and boost weight loss title eat beans as a snackurltext in addition to bean dips and hummus scooped up with raw veggies you can also oven roast beans on a baking sheet for a hearty crunchy snack try different combos like black beans sprinkled with chipotle seasoning or white beans with rosemary or curry bean soups or chilled bean side dishes marinated in balsamic vinaigrette with chopped veggies also make filling and nutrientrich substitutes for processed options that can zap energy or leave you feeling unsatisfied 12 foods that control your appetite quicklist 5category 5 easy swaps to get more fiber and boost weight loss title use beans in dessert recipesurltext youve probably heard of black bean brownies or even bean ice cream both of which are delicious it may be hard to believe at first but trust me there are plenty of yummy ways to incorporate beans into sweet treatsi use them in puddings smoothies and frozen popsnot only are they undetectable flavor wise but they add a thick rich texture that seriously ups the satisfaction factor to a level that rivals traditional versions of these goodies in baking you can use bean flour in place of allpurpose to get that same texture plus this makes your treats glutenfree and is yet another simple and fun way to up your fiber intakecynthia sass mph rd is healths contributing nutrition editor she privately counsels clients in new york los angeles and long distance cynthia is also the sports nutrition consultant to the new york rangers nhl team and the new york yankees mlb team and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics this article originally appeared on healthcom