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Awareness and knowledge of nutrient-dense foods are important for older adults to help them make dietary choices that support a food-first approach to healthy aging. This is especially important since age is a major risk factor for chronic disease and the proportion of older adults in North America is increasing. Beans can contribute to a food-first approach to healthy aging as they are nutrient-dense and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, studies exploring awareness and knowledge of beans in older adults are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore older adults’ awareness of beans in relation to their nutrient content and role in chronic disease risk. Community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years old) were recruited and completed a validated researcher-administered questionnaire (n = 250), which was followed by 10 focus groups (n = 49). Results showed that the majority of older adults considered beans as a healthy food and thought consuming them could improve their health (99.2% and 98.0%, respectively); however, only 51.2% were bean consumers. While the majority (83.6%) of older adults were aware that a serving of beans is high in dietary fibre, bean consumers were significantly more likely to think that consuming beans could improve health areas related to dietary fibre including body weight management and constipation. Furthermore, most (84.8%) older adults thought consuming beans could improve heart health; however, bean consumers were significantly more likely to be aware that one serving of beans is low in nutrients relevant to heart health including total fat, saturated and trans fat as well as cholesterol. This research can help to inform healthcare professionals and public health agencies to create specific dietary strategies focusing on increasing older adults’ awareness and knowledge of beans in relation to their nutrient profile and role in promoting health.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death among adults while associated comorbidities like diabetes further increase risks of CVD-related complications and mortality. Strategies to prevent and manage CVD risk, such as dietary change, are a key component for CVD and diabetes prevention and management. Pulses, defined as the dried edible seeds of plants in the legume family, have received attention for their superior nutritional composition as high-fiber, low–glycemic index foods and have been studied for their potential to reduce CVD and diabetes risk. Both observational and experimental studies conducted among adults with and without diabetes have provided support for pulses in their ability to improve lipid profiles, glycemic control, and blood pressure, all of which are major modifiable risk factors of CVD. These capabilities have been attributed to various mechanisms associated with the nutrient and phytochemical composition of pulses. Overall, this evidence provides support for the consumption of pulses as an important dietary strategy to reduce risk of CVD for those living with and without diabetes.