Conventional navy beans are grown by Mark Callan of Genesee Valley Bean Company in Caledonia, NY and organic beans grown by Morningstar Farms, VT.
 
Navy beans aren’t a super common bean in the Northeast, but a good amount of them get grown in the Midwest, primarily for canning. They likely get their current namesake from the fact that they are standard faire in the US Navy, being served in their mess halls since the 1800’s. It’s no wonder, since they are packed with essential nutrients such as potassium, calcium, iron and folate.
 
These beans, and beans in general, offer a lowglycemic source of carbohydrates that is particularly well-suited for anyone with diabetes, but useful for anyone who wants a sustained, slow-release form of energy throughout their day. A food is considered low-glycemic if they fall below 55 of the index, which runs up to 100. Navy beans tend to fall in the 30-36 range, well into low-glycemic territory.
 
There has been research linking navy to improvements in metabolic disorders, lowering cholesterol, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. There is further research connecting folate in one’s diet with decreased risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia due to this B vitamin’s positive impacts on homocysteine in the bloodstream.
 
Suffice to say there’s a lot of health-oriented reasons to eat beans. But let’s not forget they’re also delicious. They are great in any baked bean recipe, but check out this White bean and Kale Soup recipe, which also has good information for cooking wth an Instantpot. The print version of this recipe can be found here. And, lest we forget, navy beans are the go-to for bean pie!