Cheap, protein-packed, and full of fiber: Beans are the internet's latest obsession

Spare a thought for the humble legume. Beans are shelf stable; they've got fiber and protein. And better yet, they’re cheap — you can find a can of them at your local grocery store for less than a buck.

Right now, beans are having a big moment on the internet. The hashtag #beans on TikTok has amassed over 527,000 videos.

“It's a bunch of people who are very enthusiastic about beans,” said Bloomberg’s Jillian Deutsch, a consumer goods reporter. “Most of these people are doing something called the bean protocol, which is where they eat minimum of two cups of beans per day. They say that less than that is not going to give you the benefits, or the bean-efits, as they call them.”

But beyond the health and wellness side of the trend, there’s an economic angle, too. Beans are an affordable meal option at a time when consumers are feeling squeezed.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Deutsch about her reporting on the bean fad.

Click the audio player above to hear their conversation.