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Introducing the latest TikTok meal craze: Dense bean salads

TikTokers are raving about the versatile and healthy salad.

TikTokers are raving about the versatile and healthy salad. Photo: TND/TikTok/@violet.cooks/@nszimmer/@dr.bortny

Experts say TikTok’s latest trend ticks all the nutrition boxes, but there is a risk of uncomfortable (and smelly) side effects.

Following the viral wave of cucumber-based salads, TikTokers are filling up on legumes with ‘dense bean’ salads (DBS).

Heavy on multiple types of beans, the salads also feature high-protein, high-fibre vegetables, meat and dressing.

Violet Witchel has been widely credited with leading the trend, and many of her DBS meal prep videos feature the introduction, “Every week, I meal prep a dense bean salad, which is a veggie-packed, protein-heavy dense salad that just marinates in the fridge and gets better throughout the week.”

Variations of Witchel’s recipes range from kiwi steak to radish chickpea, and other home chefs have been eagerly customising the recipes to their tastes and dietary requirements, or coming up with their own.

“I eat [DBS] every single day for lunch, and it’s basically the only thing that ensures I get enough protein and vegetables throughout the week,” Witchel said in a TikTok posted in May.

@violet.cooks Sundried tomato DBS! #dbs #beans #densebeansalad #mealprep ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health dietitian Diana Guevara told Health DBS contained “all the components necessary to create a filling, balanced meal”.

“Dietitians often promote balance in creating meals by ensuring we are incorporating lots of veggies, protein, high-quality carbohydrates and healthy fats,” she said.

“These dense bean salads check all of the boxes nutrition experts have been promoting.”

Legumes alone are inexpensive sources of protein, fibre, folate and iron, and can keep consumers feeling fuller for longer.

Their subtle flavour means they can blend into a wide variety of dishes, and the additional vegetables and lean meat included in a DBS means the salads are potentially sources of a wide range of nutrients.

USA Pulses registered dietitian Natalie Stronczek told Health the nutrients in dense bean salads could promote better sleep quality, maintain hormone regulation, and boost digestion.

Research has linked a high intake of legumes, along with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, to significantly lower risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

TikTokers claimed to have noticed improvements to their health after regularly eating DBS, with one commenting on a Witchel post, “Girl your dense bean salad recipes have no lie changed my life … my poops are impeccable.”

@itscandicelarissa Thank you dense bean salad Queen @Violet Witchel 🥗❤️ These salads are changing my life one bite at a time! Idk why I kept saying “dense salad bean”. The salad so good my words are mixed up 😂 #densebeansalad #pcos #hormonehealth #womenshealth ♬ original sound – itscandicelarissa

But if you’re new to the DBS life, start slow.

If you’re not used to eating a lot of legumes, you may experience some gas, bloating and other intestinal discomfort once you start eating them regularly, especially if you have a condition like irritable bowel syndrome.

One TikToker shared their farts felt “sulfuric in nature” after eating DBS, while another claimed her stomach had become so bloated people asked her when she was due.

“For people with such conditions, introducing beans gradually or opting for low FODMAP varieties like canned lentils or canned chickpeas can help manage these symptoms,” BANT registered nutritionist and Gutfulness Nutrition founder Marilia Chamon told Women’s Health.

She said eating the same meal every day could also reduce enjoyment of the meal, which could decrease long-term motivation to maintain healthy eating habits.

A lack of variety could also curb the range of nutrients you consume, so if you’re keen to meal prep DBS regularly, Chamon recommended rotating the types of beans and vegetables to avoid this issue.

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