Brazil: They eat a superfood side dish almost every day.
Rice and beans are such a part of daily life in Brazil that
the phrase is used colloquially to mean "the foundation" or "the basics." Brazilians know that beans alone are low in calories and fat, high in fiber and complex carbs, packed with antioxidants and can help stabilize blood sugar levels. Combine them with rice, which has some of the essential amino acids lacking in beans, and the pair becomes become a
complete protein. What's more, compared with typical Western food,
a diet consisting of primarily rice and beans lowers the risk of becoming overweight by about 14 percent, found a study in the journal
Obesity Research. (Just be sure to keep the ratios even and
not skimp on the beans.)
