Smashed pinto beans can be made into a tasty side dish when you add garlic and a little sugar. They also can form the basis for refried beans. You'll even find them in a few cake, candy and pie recipes. Pinto beans are packed with nutrition, note the experts at New Mexico State University.
Fiber Benefits
Just 1/2 cup of smashed pinto beans will give you 32 percent of your daily recommended amount of fiber, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Eating these beans can lower your blood cholesterol because they contain soluble fiber, note the experts at New Mexico State University.
Protein Potential
Consuming 1 cup smashed pinto beans will give you 25 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of protein for adults. One cup provides 16 g protein. To gain all of the essential amino acids you need, supplement the protein provided by pinto beans with some dairy, meat, corn or rice.
Vitamin Types
Pinto beans are considered a good source of the B vitamins niacin, thiamine and riboflavin. These are needed for tissue building and growth. One cup provides 0.5 mg niacin, 0.33 mg thiamine and 0.1 mg riboflavin. Men need 16 mg niacin a day and women need 14 mg daily. Men need 1.2 mg thiamine a day and women need 1.1 mg. Men require 1.3 mg riboflavin daily and women 1.1 mg. Cooking the beans slowly is the best way to preserve their B vitamins. That means men get 3 percent of needed niacin and women get 3.5 percent; men get 27.5 percent of needed thiamine daily and women get 30 percent; and men get 7.5 percent of needed riboflavin while women get 9 percent.
Iron Effects
A cup of smashed pinto beans will provide 20 percent of the iron you need daily, according to the USDA. You need iron for hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, according to Oregon State University.
Energy Considerations
Pinto beans are a good source of energy. Half a cup gives you 118 to 120 calories. They are also low in fat. Half a cup has 0.5 g fat or about 1 percent of your recommended daily intake. About 84 percent of the fat in pinto beans is polyunsaturated, mainly consisting of linoleic acid. This is an omega-6 fatty acid, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. Consuming too much linoleic acid can promote inflammation.
Expert Insight
Pinto beans contain complex carbohydrates that aren't easy to digest -- even if they are smashed. You can increase digestibility by discarding water used to soak and cook these beans. That's because much of the indigestible carbs will dissolve in the water. This will reduce any intestinal distress. Discarding the water does not cause a significant amount of essential nutrients to be lost, according to New Mexico State University.
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