PRACTICAL FACT: Beans are one of the most important foods to consume when thinking about a healthy longevity diet. They’re rich in fiber and complex carbs and they are crucial to one of the most important aspects of health: our gut! Ikarians and Greeks in general cook beans every which way, but it’s when combining them with luscious veggies like eggplant that we get complex flavors and textures as well as great nutrition. This recipe calls for canned beans, but would be even healthier if made with dried, home-soaked beans, which contain more of all the good nutritional value than their canned equivalent. But we all need a little convenience now and then, so if you do use canned beans, look for low-sodium and organic if possible.