Dried vs Canned Beans: Soaking and Sodium
Dried and canned beans compared with USDA values for sodium, fiber and folate, what draining and rinsing do, what soaking changes, canned-bean safety and the BPA question.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Both dried and canned beans are real food, and both are linked in research to a healthier diet. This guide compares them using USDA numbers and sourced studies: sodium, fiber, folate, soaking, safety and can linings. It is information, not medical advice. For cooking dried kidney beans safely, see lectins in beans.
Read this first
- Sodium is the big difference. USDA lists 231 mg of sodium in 100 g of drained canned red kidney beans, against 2 mg in 100 g of home-boiled kidney beans cooked without salt. [1] [2] Canned chickpeas that were drained and rinsed still had 212 mg per 100 g, against 7 mg for boiled, unsalted chickpeas. [3] [4]
- Draining and rinsing helps. A study presented at a food-science conference found draining cut sodium by 36% and draining plus rinsing by 41%. [5] Funding was not stated in the article we read. [5]
- Canned beans are safe from the kidney-bean lectin problem. The FDA says the low levels in canned and properly cooked kidney beans will not affect you. [6]
- Dried beans need proper cooking, and red kidney beans need extra care. See lectins in beans. [6]
- Evidence in one line: pooled trials and cohort studies are on beans as a category, not on canned versus dried. We found no trial that compares the two for health outcomes.
Side by side: USDA values
All values are USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy items (April 2018 release). "Drained solids" means the beans without the canning liquid. Different items are different varieties and lots, so small differences are not meaningful. [1] [2] [3] [4]| Food (item) | Sodium per 100 g | Fiber per 100 g | Folate (DFE) per 100 g | Typical USDA portion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red kidney beans, raw (FDC 175193) | 24 mg | 24.9 g | 394 mcg | 1 cup raw, 184 g [7] |
| Red kidney beans, boiled, no salt (FDC 175194) | 2 mg | 7.4 g | 130 mcg | 1 cup, 177 g [2] |
| Red kidney beans, canned, drained solids (FDC 174285) | 231 mg | 5.5 g | 28 mcg | 1 can drained, 266 g [1] |
| Chickpeas, boiled, no salt (FDC 173757) | 7 mg | 7.6 g | 172 mcg | 1 cup, 164 g [4] |
| Chickpeas, canned, drained, rinsed (FDC 173801) | 212 mg | 6.3 g | 41 mcg | 1 cup, 152 g [3] |
What this means in whole portions (our arithmetic from the table): one USDA can of drained kidney beans (266 g) has about 614 mg of sodium; one cup of drained, rinsed canned chickpeas (152 g) has about 322 mg; one cup of unsalted boiled kidney beans (177 g) has about 4 mg. The FDA Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg, so those are about 27%, 14% and under 1%. [8]
Two more points from the USDA numbers. The canned items show less folate and less fiber per 100 g than the unsalted boiled ones. [1] [2] [3] [4] This could come from canning, from draining and from the particular beans tested; the USDA data alone cannot say which. Water also differs, so compare energy per portion on your own label, not per 100 g of mixed products.
Sodium: label words and what rinsing does
The FDA says "low sodium" means 140 mg or less per serving, and that "no salt added" means no salt was added in processing, but the food may still contain some sodium. [8] The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise adults to keep sodium under 2,300 mg a day, about a teaspoon of table salt, quoted by the FDA. [8]The draining-and-rinsing study was done by food scientists at the University of Tennessee and presented at the Institute of Food Technologists meeting; the article says it tested all brands and bean classes and that every one showed significant reductions. [5] We did not read the full paper and the funding is not stated. Treat 36% and 41% as one report, not a guarantee for every brand.
Soaking and cooking: what changes
- Gas. Harvard Health says soaking dried beans overnight and cooking them in fresh water helps remove gas-producing substances. [9]
- Nutrients (lab findings). A 2026 review reported that soaking raised soluble fiber by as much as 33%, while some phenolics and minerals leached into the water. [10] Heat can also reduce antioxidant capacity in tests, by 50% to 95% depending on the bean and conditions. [10] These are laboratory measures, not health outcomes.
- Minerals. In a 2026 laboratory digestion study of small black beans, soaking, germination and cooking did not significantly change mineral bioaccessibility, except that pressure cooking presoaked beans raised iron bioaccessibility the most. [11] That study mimicked digestion in a test tube and did not measure people.
- Cooking itself. A 2026 analysis of six lentil types reported higher measured fiber and resistant starch in cooked lentils than in raw. [12]
- Safety. For red kidney beans the FDA says to soak at least 5 hours and boil in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. [6]
Can linings and BPA
Some metal food cans are lined with epoxy resins that contain bisphenol A (BPA). The FDA says BPA is safe at the current levels occurring in foods, and that its ongoing safety review continues to support use in currently approved food packaging. [13] The page we read is dated April 2023. [13] People who prefer to avoid it can choose beans in other packaging or cook from dried; we did not read a source claiming a health benefit of doing so.Which is better?
| Question | Dried, home-cooked | Canned |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | Very low unless you add salt [2] [4] | Higher; draining and rinsing lowers it [1] [3] [5] |
| Prep | Soak and cook; red kidney beans need strict boiling [6] | Ready to use; no soaking [9] |
| Lectin safety | Cook thoroughly [6] | Safe from kidney-bean lectin [6] |
| Fiber and folate per 100 g (USDA items) | Higher in the items listed [2] [4] | Lower in the items listed [1] [3] |
| Health trial evidence | Not compared in sources we read | Not compared in sources we read |
Both count as legumes in the research: a 2014 meta-analysis of 26 trials found diets built around about one daily serving (130 g) of pulses lowered LDL cholesterol slightly. [14] The trials did not split canned from dried.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to rinse canned beans?
Rinsing is optional for safety, but it lowers sodium: draining cut sodium by 36% and draining plus rinsing by 41% in one reported study. [5] USDA's rinsed canned chickpeas still had 212 mg per 100 g. [3]
Are canned beans as healthy as dried beans?
Both are beans. USDA values show more sodium and, in the items listed, less fiber and folate per 100 g in the canned ones. [1] [2] [3] [4] We found no trial comparing them for health.
Is the liquid in the can safe?
We did not read a source on this. The liquid is where much of the added salt sits, which is why sodium falls after draining. [5]
Do I have to soak beans?
Harvard Health says soaking and cooking in fresh water helps remove gas-producing substances. [9] For red kidney beans the FDA says to soak at least 5 hours and boil at least 30 minutes. [6] We did not read a rule for other beans.
Is BPA in can linings a danger?
The FDA says BPA is safe at current levels occurring in foods. [13] Some people prefer to avoid it; that is a personal choice, not a finding from our sources.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, canned, drained solids (SR Legacy, FDC 174285). April 2018 release. Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 175194). April 2018 release. Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Chickpeas, mature seeds, canned, drained, rinsed in tap water (FDC 173801). April 2018 release. Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Chickpeas, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 173757). April 2018 release. Read 2026-10-24.
- Today's Dietitian. Reducing sodium in canned beans: easier than 1-2-3. January 2010 (report on a University of Tennessee study presented at an IFT meeting). Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Natural toxins in food. Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Beans, kidney, all types, mature seeds, raw (FDC 175193). April 2018 release. Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sodium in your diet. Content current as of 5 March 2024. Read 2026-10-24.
- Harvard Health Publishing. Legumes: are they good for your heart?. Page dated 3 August 2026. Read 2026-10-24.
- Janahar JJ, Balasubramaniam H, Zhang Y. Nutritional and functional attributes of legumes: a review of processing methods and their impacts. J Food Sci 2026 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Bajo W, Chambal B, Macuamule C. Effect of processing methods on mineral bioaccessibility in common beans. 2026 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Zeng H, Safratowich BD, Liu Z, Bussan DD. Nutritional composition and functional properties of commonly consumed lentils: impact of commercial lentil types and cooking processes. 2026 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bisphenol A (BPA): use in food contact application. Content current as of 20 April 2023. Read 2026-10-24.
- Ha V, Sievenpiper JL et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ 2014 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.