Like most beans, fava beans are a low-fat source of protein. Boiled, unsalted fava beans are also high in some minerals and vitamins. One cup of fava beans provides almost one-third of the dietary reference intake, or DRI, of fiber for adults as well. Percentages below are for adults under age 50.
Calories
One cup of boiled, unsalted fava beans contains 187 calories. Like most beans, the calories in fava beans come primarily from protein and carbohydrates. One cup of fava beans contains 33.4 g of carbohydrates and only 3.1 g of sugar. One cup also contains 9.2 g of fiber, which is more than 30 percent of the DRI of 28 g.
Protein
One cup of cooked fava beans contains 12.9 g of protein, which is 28 percent of the DRI for women and 23 percent for men. Although the protein in fava beans is comprised of 18 different amino acids, fava beans are not a complete protein, as they do not contain all of the essential amino acids. In order to make a complete protein, fava beans would need to be combined with a food such as corn or rice.
Fat
One cup of fava beans contains less than 1 gram of fat. Like all plant foods, fava beans contain no cholesterol.
Minerals
Fava beans contain a large amount of many different minerals. One cup provides 31.8 percent of the DRI for iron for men and 14 percent for women. One cup of fava beans supplies nearly 50 percent of the DRI for copper and approximately 40 percent of the DRI for manganese. Fava beans are also high in phosphorus and potassium, with one cup of cooked beans providing more than 20 percent of the DRI for both of these minerals.
Sodium
When cooked without salt, fava beans contain very little sodium. One cup contains only 8 mg, which is less than 1 percent of the maximum recommended daily allowance of 2400mg. If 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt were added to one cup of beans, it would increase the sodium content to 581 mg, which is 24 percent of the maximum recommended amount.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
While fava beans are low in vitamin C, they do contain large amounts of some of the water-soluble B vitamins. One cup provides 44 percent of the DRI for folate, which helps to prevent some types of anemia. One cup also supplies more than 10 percent of both thiamin and riboflavin.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Fava beans are low in all of the fat-soluble vitamins. One cup contains only 5.4 percent of the DRI for vitamin K and less than 1 percent of the DRI for vitamins A, E and D.
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