Garbanzo bean flour, as the name makes plain, comes from garbanzo beans or chickpeas and also goes by the names chickpea flour or gram flour. Unroasted garbanzo bean flour also is known as besan, besum or chana flour and forms a cornerstone of Indian, Pakistani and Greek baking.

Pinto beans can be a healthy protein source. Eating 1/2 cup of pinto beans adds 8 g of protein to your daily intake. You will also get 8 g of dietary fiber without any fat or cholesterol from 1/2 cup of plain cooked pinto beans.

Purple hull peas are a type of peas related to black-eyed peas that are rich in fiber and fat-free. If you're athletic, purple hull peas can be beneficial, as they are also rich in carbohydrates.

Crowder peas are part of a Southern pea group called field peas. They were most likely brought to America by Spanish explorers or African slaves. Fresh crowder peas have a more robust flavor than black-eyed peas or cream peas and are known for the dark juices they leave in the pot.

Canned beans are high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants and are also an easy-to-store and convenient staple for any pantry. Frying canned beans is a quick and simple way to heat them through without adding a lot of fat or calories.

String beans are a quick and nutritious side dish or a colorful and unusual addition to a salad. Farm-fresh produce packs more of a nutritional punch, but keeping frozen vegetables around ensures a healthy meal when there’s no time to shop. Cooking frozen vegetables can be a little tricky.

Lentils are a healthy, vitamin-packed and protein-rich food. They’re classified as legumes, which puts them in the same family as beans and peanuts. That means if you have a peanut allergy, you may also be allergic to lentils.

Lupini beans, or lupins, are the seeds of lupinus plants. With origins in the Mediterranean, these high-protein beans are traditionally eaten with beer throughout Southern Europe and Latin America. Due to the bitter taste and high alkaloid content of the beans, special "debittering" methods for lupini beans are common.

Avoiding fattening foods helps you avoid weight gain and may make it easier to lose weight. Kidney beans are low in fat and high in protein and fiber, but eating too many calories of any sort can cause you to gain weight. The kidney bean belongs to the Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Dried beans and black-eyed peas are excellent sources of protein. You can consume them as a healthy substitute for meat, according to MayoClinic.com. Dry beans and peas are low in fat, contain no cholesterol and packed with nutrients such as folate, iron, magnesium and potassium.

Ham and bean recipes are versatile and inexpensive. If you find yours is too runny, you have several options for making it thicker. Try adding breadcrumbs, cream or pureed vegetables to make a heartier ham and beans. If you don't have any extra ingredients, you can add a vegetable-based starch.

If you store uncooked lentils in a cool, dry area, such as your pantry, they will keep for up to one year. This is nice but not very helpful on a busy weeknight when you are trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry.