Healthy red kidney beans belong to the legume family and are prized for their ability to absorb the flavors of foods cooked with them. Kidney beans are available dried or canned and can be found year round. Soak and cook dried beans prior to eating. You can heat or chill canned beans, or eat them straight out of the can.
Servings and Calories
One cup of kidney beans, approximately 177 grams of beans, makes up a single serving of this healthy legume. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, there are 225 calories in a single cup of cooked kidney beans.
Macronutrients
Kidney beans are high in fiber, which makes up 11.3 g of the 40.36 g of carbohydrate present in a single cup, a full 45 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber. There are 15.35 g of protein and .89 g of fat in a serving of kidney beans. Because the protein content of beans consists of an incomplete amino acid profile, kidney beans are best served with a food containing complementary amino acids, such as rice.
Micronutrients
Cooked kidney beans contain 62 mg of calcium and 3.93 g of iron per cup. The beans are extremely high in molybdenum, containing 132.75 mcg per cup, more than 100 percent of the daily recommended intake. Kidney beans are a good source of the minerals manganese, potassium, copper and phosphorus. Other minerals present in kidney beans include zinc, magnesium and selenium. There is 230 mcg of the vitamin folate, making kidney beans an excellent source of this vitamin. Other vitamins in kidney beans include thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, pantothenic acid and vitamin E.
Health Benefits
According to World's Healthiest Foods, the soluble and insoluble fiber in kidney beans helps keep blood sugar levels stable, lowers cholesterol, prevents heart disease and improves overall digestion. The folate and magnesium in kidney beans also contribute to a heart-protective effect.
Considerations
Kidney beans should always be fully cooked before eating, since they contain a potentially toxic compound called phytohaemagglutnin, a type of lectin, according to Penn State Cooperative Extension. Eating only four or five raw kidney beans may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain in susceptible individuals. Cooking kidney beans thoroughly lowers the amount of lectin in the beans to harmless levels.
Alternatives
In addition to kidney beans there are numerous other healthy beans with similar nutritional profiles that can be substituted in dishes listing kidney beans as an ingredient. Black beans, pinto beans, butter beans, white beans and butter beans are all tasty options for alternatives to kidney beans.
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