The protein powder industry is worth billions — and it's built on the idea that getting enough protein from food alone is somehow complicated or inconvenient. It isn't. Beans are one of the most protein-dense foods on the planet, and they come packaged with fibre, iron, folate, and a long list of other nutrients that no powder can replicate.

Organic beans in particular are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, which means you're getting all of that nutritional goodness without the chemical residue. And because they're a whole food, your body knows exactly what to do with them. Here are eight varieties worth getting to know — and keeping stocked in your kitchen at all times.

The secret to getting more beans into your diet isn't complicated recipes — it's keeping them to hand and finding a few simple ways to use them regularly. A tin of chickpeas or cannellini in the cupboard means a high-protein meal is always 10 minutes away. Cooking a big batch of dried beans at the weekend and storing them in the fridge means you can add a scoop to salads, soups, and grain bowls all week without thinking about it.

Dried organic beans are also significantly more economical than tinned, and the flavour is noticeably better. If you're new to cooking from dried, start with lentils and mung beans — they cook quickly and don't need soaking. From there, kidney beans, chickpeas, and black beans are all straightforward once you build the habit.

The bottom line: beans are one of the most nutritionally complete, affordable, and sustainable sources of plant-based protein available. They don't need clever marketing or a complicated preparation ritual — just a pan, some water, and a little seasoning.