Baked Beans: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Baked beans are cooked beans (here, common beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, in the pea family) in a sweet or savory sauce, usually tomato-based. They are sold in cans or made at home, and they are eaten for fiber, plant protein and minerals such as iron. This page covers the dish as eaten. The beans themselves are a good food, but the sauce can bring sodium and sugar, and products differ a lot by country and brand. It keeps the cooked dish apart from raw beans and from hype.

Read this first

• Canned baked beans are already cooked. The FDA says low levels of the bean lectin PHA in canned and properly cooked beans will not affect you. Raw or undercooked dried beans, especially red kidney beans, are the problem. [3] See lectins in beans.
• Sodium and sugar in the sauce. USDA lists 437 mg of sodium per 100 g in canned baked beans with pork and tomato sauce (19% of the Daily Value per 100 g, or 47% per cup). [2] The British Heart Foundation dietitian says most canned baked beans are ultra-processed, with added sugar and salt, and suggests reduced-salt, reduced-sugar versions. [5]
• Evidence in one line: pooled trials of beans and other pulses show a small LDL cholesterol drop; baked beans themselves have not been separately pooled in what we read. [7]
• Allergy: beans can cause allergy, though we did not read a source on baked bean allergy. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number). [10]

What is in it (USDA values)

Two USDA items (SR Legacy) describe baked beans, and they are different recipes, so do not compare them like for like:

• Beans, baked, home prepared (FDC 173731) [1]: household portion 1 cup, 253 g.
• Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce (FDC 173733) [2]: household portion 1 cup, 246 g.

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values (sodium 2,300 mg, saturated fat 20 g, fiber 28 g). [4] The cup columns are the per-100 g values multiplied by the portion weight. By the FDA's guide, 20% or more of the Daily Value in a serving counts as high, and 5% or less as low. [4] Values vary by recipe and brand. USDA also lists zinc for the canned item (5.48 mg per 100 g), which is much higher than for the home-prepared item; we left it out of the table because it looks out of line with the other values and we could not check it.

Plant compounds: the sources we read do not measure specific compounds in baked beans. Beans contain resistant starch and sugars called oligosaccharides that gut bacteria ferment, which causes gas in some people. [8]

What research says

The beans versus the sauce. The trial benefits above were seen with plain pulses. A sweetened, salted sauce changes the food, so do not assume the same result. We did not read a trial of canned baked beans for LDL cholesterol. Funding of the feeding studies was not stated in the abstract we read.

How much is a normal serving

The USDA household portion is 1 cup: 253 g for home-prepared (about 392 kcal) and 246 g for the canned item (about 231 kcal). [1] [2] The NHS and the BHF say about 80 g of beans counts as one of your 5 A DAY, but beans count only once a day however much you eat. [5] [9] A half UK can (207 g) is the BHF's example serving. [5] This is information, not a prescription.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Cooking safety. Canned baked beans need no further cooking for lectin safety. [3] If you cook dried beans from scratch, follow bean-cooking guidance; red kidney beans are the main concern. [3] See lectins in beans: cooking dried beans safely and soaking and cooking times.
• Sodium. USDA lists about 1,080 mg of sodium in a cup of canned baked beans (47% of the Daily Value). [2] People advised to limit sodium (for example with high blood pressure or kidney disease) should check labels. We did not read a source with a personal sodium target.
• Added sugar. The BHF notes that traffic-light labels show total sugar, not added sugar, and that most of the sugar in baked beans comes from the sauce. [5] USDA lists 5.67 g of total sugars per 100 g in the canned item. [2] See added sugars, sodium and saturated fat on labels.
• Saturated fat. USDA lists 1.948 g per 100 g in the home-prepared item (10% of the Daily Value) and 0.293 g per 100 g in the canned item. [1] [2] The fat source in a home recipe depends on what you add.
• Digestion. Gas and bloating can occur; see beans, gas, FODMAP and digestion. [6] [8]
• Allergy. MedlinePlus lists soy and peanuts among common food allergies but not beans in general; we did not read a source on baked beans allergy. Sauces and canned products can contain other allergens, so read the label (the FDA lists nine major allergens). [10] [11] See food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Kidney disease. USDA lists 726 mg of potassium and 285 mg of phosphorus in a cup of the canned item. [2] We did not read bean-specific kidney advice. See foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Medicines, pregnancy, children: proper evidence not found in the sources we read. See foods and medicine interactions and foods in pregnancy.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Compare labels. The BHF advises choosing no-added-sugar or reduced-sugar and reduced-salt varieties and serving beans with wholemeal toast or vegetables. [5]
• Canned beans keep per the package. We did not read storage rules for opened cans; follow the label and refrigerate leftovers.
• See canned beans and dried vs canned beans, soaking and sodium.

Related pages

• Canned beans
• Navy beans
• Dried vs canned beans, soaking and sodium
• Beans, gas, FODMAP and digestion
• Added sugars, sodium and saturated fat on labels
• Foods for cholesterol and heart health