Refried Beans: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Refried beans are cooked beans (common beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, in the pea family) mashed and cooked with fat and seasoning. They are sold in cans or made at home, and they are eaten as a side, in burritos and as a dip. People choose them for fiber and plant protein. This page covers the prepared dish. It keeps the cooked, seasoned food apart from raw beans and from hype, and it looks closely at two things that vary by product: sodium and the fat used.

Read this first

• Canned refried beans are already cooked. The FDA says the low PHA (lectin) levels in canned and properly cooked beans will not affect you. [3] Raw or undercooked dried beans are the lectin risk, mainly red kidney beans. See lectins in beans.
• Sodium is the number to watch. USDA lists 881 mg of sodium in a cup of traditional canned refried beans (38% of the Daily Value) and 808 mg in a cup of the fat-free item (35%). [1] [2] Fat-free does not mean low-sodium.
• Homemade leftovers: the CDC says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and to reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter before serving. [5]
• Evidence in one line: pooled trials of beans and other pulses show a small LDL cholesterol drop. Refried beans themselves were not tested in what we read. [6]
• Allergy: for trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat after any food, call 911 (or your local emergency number). [10]

What is in it (USDA values)

Two USDA items (SR Legacy) describe canned refried beans:

• Refried beans, canned, traditional style (FDC 172438) [1]: household portions 1 cup (238 g) and 1 can (442 g).
• Refried beans, canned, fat-free (FDC 172465) [2]: household portions 1 cup (231 g) and 1 can (445 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. USDA lists trans fat at 0.016 g per 100 g in the traditional item and 0 g in the fat-free item. [1] [2] Values vary by brand and recipe, and the USDA data do not say which fat the traditional item contains; the ingredient list on your can will. A homemade version made with your own beans, fat and salt will have different numbers.

Plant compounds: the sources we read do not measure specific compounds in refried beans. Beans contain resistant starch and oligosaccharides that gut bacteria ferment, which causes gas in some people. [7]

What research says

The beans versus the added fat and salt. Trials of pulses used plain cooked pulses. Added fat and salt change the food, so do not assume the same results. We did not read a trial of refried beans. The feeding studies' funding was not stated in the abstract we read.

How much is a normal serving

USDA household portions are 1 cup (238 g, about 214 kcal for the traditional item; 231 g, about 182 kcal for fat-free) or 1 whole can (442 g or 445 g). [1] [2] The NHS says 80 g of beans counts as one of your 5 A DAY, but only once a day however much you eat. [9] This is information, not a prescription.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Homemade refried beans and leftovers. The CDC page on C. perfringens food poisoning says to keep cooked food at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, or refrigerate at 40 degrees or colder; to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if the food is in air above 90 degrees); and to reheat leftovers to 165 degrees or hotter. It also says foods cooked in large batches and held at unsafe temperatures have been linked to outbreaks. The page does not mention beans. [5]
• Cooking dried beans first. If you start from dried beans, cook them as bean-cooking guidance says; the FDA advises soaking dried kidney beans at least 5 hours and boiling in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. That advice is about kidney beans, and we have not seen a source extending it to other beans. [3] See lectins in beans and soaking and cooking times.
• Sodium. About 38% of the Daily Value in a cup of traditional canned refried beans. [1] [4] People advised to limit sodium should check labels. See added sugars, sodium and saturated fat on labels.
• Fat. The traditional item has 1.5 g of saturated fat per cup (8% of the Daily Value). [1] [4] Fat type depends on the brand or recipe.
• Digestion. Gas, bloating and cramping can occur; see beans, gas, FODMAP and digestion. [7] [8]
• Allergy. Read the label; the FDA lists nine major allergens, and canned products can include other ingredients. [11] MedlinePlus says to call 911 or your local emergency number for a serious or whole-body reaction, especially wheezing or trouble breathing. [10] See food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Kidney disease. USDA lists 759 mg of potassium and 219 mg of phosphorus in a cup of the traditional item. [1] 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 the sodium and ingredient list on the label, including the type of fat. USDA shows fat-free and traditional products with similar sodium. [1] [2]
• Follow the can's directions for opened cans; refrigerate leftovers promptly. [5]
• See canned beans and dried vs canned beans, soaking and sodium.

Related pages

• Pinto beans
• Black beans
• Canned beans
• Baked beans
• Dried vs canned beans, soaking and sodium
• Added sugars, sodium and saturated fat on labels