A new study has found one simple food that could be key to losing weight, and it may surprise you.

It’s beans, chickpeas, peas, and lentils, according to a statement from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

That’s right, those cans of beans you have lining your pantry could help you shed those unwanted pounds, based on an anlysis of 21 clincial trials. Basically, these foods are effective at making you feel full, which is key to weight loss.

Even more importantly, beans may help you keep the weight off after you’ve gotten rid of it.

Legumes are packed with fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, and it’s not terribly surprising that a diet rich in these foods would lead to weight loss. These foods are colelctively known as “pulses,” and they have a low glycemic index, so they break down slowly during digestion, and therefore might be a good alternative to animal proteins and unhealthy fats.

The trial involved 940 adults, and found that those who ate one serving of pulses per day, or three-quarters of a cup, lost an average of 0.75 pounds over six weeks with nothing else having been changed about their lifestyles.

“Despite their known health benefits, only 13 per cent of Canadians eat pulses on any given day and most do not eat the full serving,” Dr. Russell de Souza, a researcher with the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital and the paper’s lead author, said in the statement. “So there is room for most of us to incorporate dietary pulses in our diet and realize potential weight management benefits.”

He added: “This new study fits well with our previous work, which found that pulses increased the feeling of fullness by 31 per cent, which may indeed result in less food intake.”