Low in fat and high in fiber and protein, beans are a healthy addition to any diet. Vegetarians, who often struggle to consume enough protein, can especially benefit from adding beans to their diet. Values below are for one cup of kidney beans, cooked without salt. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) percentages are for adults under age 50.
Calories and Fat
One cup of cooked kidney beans contains 225 calories. Most of these calories come from protein and carbohydrate, with only a few coming from the less than 1 g of fat in one cup. Because they come from plants, beans also contain no cholesterol.
Fiber
One cup of cooked beans provides 11.3 g of fiber. This is nearly half of the amount recommended for an adult consuming 2,000 calories per day. The fiber in beans is soluble fiber, which can help lower cholesterol.
Protein
One cup of beans contains 15.4 g of protein. The protein in beans is composed of 18 different amino acids. One cup supplies 9 percent of the recommended amount of lysine and 8 percent of leucine. Leucine works with the other branched-chain amino acids, valine and isoleucine, to protect muscles from stress. Because they do not provide all of the essential amino acids, beans are not a complete protein. They can, however, be combined with other foods such as rice or corn to make a complete protein.
Minerals
Beans are a rich source of many minerals. One cup of kidney beans supplies over 30 percent of the DRI for phosphorus, copper and manganese. Over 15 percent of the DRI for both zinc and magnesium are also provided by one cup. Additionally, one cup supplies nearly half of the DRI of iron for men and over 20 percent for women.
Vitamins
Beans are an excellent source of the B vitamins thiamin and folate. One cup provides 58 percent of the DRI of folate and 24 percent of the DRI for thiamin. Thiamin is important for protein and carbohydrate metabolism. (See reference 4) One cup of kidney beans also supplies over 10 percent of the DRI for B6, choline and vitamin K. Beans contain very little vitamin E and no vitamin A or vitamin D.
References
- Medline Plus: Fiber Information
- "The Healing Nutrients Within"; Eric R. Braverman, M.D.; 2003
- Medline Plus: Protein in Diet
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