Calorie Smart

Chili bread bowl

There’s a school of thought which holds that true chili should not contain any beans but for those of us who aren’t recipe purists, a warm, spicy bowl just isn’t the same without the hearty texture that chili beans add. What’s more is that thanks to the versatility beans offer, there’s several different types of beans you can use in your next recipe. The truth is almost any bean can be used in chili but the tested, tried-and-true ones are chili bread bowl the best choice.

Because beans used in chili are subjected to extreme levels of heat when cooked over a hot stove. Since chili becomes more flavorful the longer it simmers, it’s best to pick the right bean for this purpose. And if you’re wondering what beans those might be, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got every popular chili bean covered so the next time you’re craving a big bowl, you’ll know just the right bean to pick to get the most out of your recipe. Besides being part of the same species, beans in this group are often kept cool and dry, which can give them a nearly indefinite life span. Of course, this alone makes them an incredibly valuable food resource since they are high in protein, carbohydrate and fiber.