Canned Beans (Drained, Rinsed): Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Canned beans are mature beans such as red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) that are cooked and sealed in a can, so they are ready to eat. People use them because they save hours of soaking and boiling. The two things worth knowing are sodium, which you can lower by choosing and rinsing wisely, and safety, which is good for canned beans. This page uses USDA values for drained red kidney beans and for drained, rinsed chickpeas, and keeps canned beans apart from dried beans and from hype.

Read this first

• Canned kidney beans are safe to eat as sold. The FDA says the low levels of the lectin phytohaemagglutinin in canned and properly cooked kidney beans will not affect you, while raw or undercooked beans can cause nausea, severe vomiting and diarrhea. [4] The UK Food Standards Agency says supermarket canned beans are safe because they have been pre-soaked and boiled. [5]
• Sodium is the main watch point. USDA lists 231 mg of sodium per 100 g of drained canned kidney beans, about 10% of the FDA Daily Value (less than 2,300 mg a day). [1] [3] The FDA says to choose low sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables and to rinse canned beans to remove some sodium. [3]
• Evidence in one line: pooled trials found that diets with pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas) lowered LDL cholesterol a little. The trials did not compare canned with dried beans. [6]
• Gas and bloating are common with beans. [13]
• Allergy: kidney beans and chickpeas are not among the nine major US allergens, but peanuts and soybeans, which are also legumes, are. [18]

What is in it (USDA values)

The values below are for two USDA items (SR Legacy). Red kidney beans are "mature seeds, canned, drained solids" (FoodData Central item 174285). [1] Chickpeas are "canned, drained, rinsed in tap water" (item 173801). [2] USDA lists 1 can drained solids (266 g) for the kidney beans and 1 can drained and rinsed (254 g) or 1 cup drained and rinsed (152 g) for the chickpeas. [1] [2] The serving column is half a cup of the chickpeas, 76 g, which is half of the USDA 1 cup portion.

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with bean type, brand, brine and rinsing. The serving figures are the chickpea 100 g values multiplied by 0.76. USDA's rinsed chickpea item still lists 212 mg of sodium per 100 g, so a rinse lowers sodium but does not remove it; the label is the best guide for your brand. [2] [3]

Plant compounds: Harvard describes lectins in beans, which cooking reduces, and says the amount of mineral absorption lost in a usual diet is not known. [14] We did not find a source that measured other plant compounds in canned beans.

What research says

Canned beans as food vs other forms. The trials above fed people pulses in their diets; the abstracts we read do not say how many used canned beans. The nutrients in canned and dried beans are not the same in every respect (for example sodium), so these results are a guide to beans in general, not proof about the can in your cupboard.

How much is a normal serving

The USDA household portions are listed in the section above (a can of drained kidney beans is 266 g; a cup of drained, rinsed chickpeas is 152 g). [1] [2] The NHS counts 80 g of pulses and beans as one portion of 5 A DAY, and says they only count once a day, however much you eat. [17] These are pieces of information, not a prescription. One can often holds several portions, so check the label for servings per can.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Sodium. The FDA Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg a day, and the FDA says Americans eat about 3,400 mg a day. [3] Canned beans are a modest source per serving but can add up with other canned and packaged foods. See Dried vs canned beans: soaking and sodium.
• Lectins and food poisoning. Raw or undercooked red kidney beans are the risk, not canned ones. The FDA says to soak dried kidney beans at least 5 hours and boil them in fresh water for at least 30 minutes, and the FSA warns not to slow-cook raw red kidney beans because it does not destroy the toxin and may increase it. [4] [5] See Lectins in beans: cooking dried beans safely.
• BPA in can linings. The FDA says current approved uses of BPA in food containers and packaging are safe, that small amounts may move from can linings into food, and that in 2012 and 2013 it stopped providing for certain BPA materials in baby bottles, sippy cups and infant formula packaging because manufacturers had abandoned those uses. [15] That FDA page was last updated in 2018, so check for newer statements.
• Damaged or opened cans. CDC says store-bought food can also be contaminated with botulism, to refrigerate opened canned foods, and to throw out food of uncertain safety ("If in doubt, throw it out!"). [16]
• Digestion. NIDDK names beans among foods that can cause gas, and says some people have more gas with a lot of fiber. [13]
• Mineral absorption. Harvard says lectins in beans can interfere with absorption of calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc, that the amount lost is not known, and that soaking, sprouting or boiling lowers them. [14]
• Kidney disease. USDA lists 277 mg of potassium per 100 g in the kidney bean item. [1] Whether that matters depends on your kidney function; see Foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Medicines. We did not read a source on drug interactions with canned beans.
• Pregnancy and children. Cooked canned beans are not named in the sources we read as a concern. Ask your doctor, midwife or pediatrician about your own diet.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Look for labels such as low sodium or no-salt-added. [3]
• Drain and rinse before using; the FDA says rinsing canned beans removes some sodium. [3]
• Check the ingredient list: some canned beans come in sauces or with added sugar, salt or meat, which changes the numbers in the table. The USDA items above are plain beans.
• Refrigerate opened cans and follow the label; throw out food of uncertain safety. [16]

Related pages

• Dried vs canned beans: soaking and sodium
• Kidney beans
• Chickpeas
• Lectins in beans: cooking dried beans safely
• Beans: gas, FODMAPs and digestion
• Fresh, frozen and canned produce