I was looking for a very simple bean nutrition comparison table, but couldn’t find one.
So I made one instead, and I’ll share it with you here.
If there’s any nutritional aspect that you think is missing, just let me know.
Bean Nutrition Comparison Table
All information below is per 1 cup of cooked beans.
I only included vitamins and minerals with significant amounts, and I excluded a few like phosphorus and copper that very few people are ever deficient in.
| Bean | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugars (g) | Calcium (%DV) | Iron (%DV) | Magnesium (%DV) | Potassium (%DV) | Zinc (%DV) | Folate (%DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adzuki | 294 | 17.3 | 0.2 | 57 | 16.8 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 30 | 35 | 27 | 70 |
| Chickpeas | 269 | 14.5 | 4.2 | 45 | 12.5 | 7.9 | 8 | 26 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 71 |
| Soybeans | 298 | 28.6 | 15.4 | 17.1 | 10.3 | 5.2 | 18 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 13 | 23 |
| Black | 227 | 15.2 | 0.9 | 40.8 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 30 | 17 | 13 | 64 |
| Navy | 255 | 15 | 1.1 | 47.8 | 19.1 | 0.7 | 13 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 12 | 64 |
| Lima | 216 | 14.7 | 0.7 | 39.3 | 13.2 | 5.5 | 3 | 25 | 20 | 27 | 12 | 39 |
| Kidney | 225 | 15.3 | 0.9 | 40.4 | 11.3 | 0.6 | 6 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 12 | 58 |
| Mung | 212 | 14.2 | 0.8 | 38.7 | 15.4 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 24 | 15 | 11 | 80 |
| Fava | 187 | 12.9 | 0.7 | 33.4 | 9.2 | 3.1 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 44 |
Which Bean Is Highest and Lowest in Calories?
Soybeans are highest in calories at 298 per cup of cooked beans, while one cup of cooked fava beans has just 187 calories. Soybeans are one of the few beans to have any real fat in them, so it’s not surprising that they are high in calories.
Which Bean Has The Most Protein?
Soybeans are by far the best bean for getting protein, with 28.6 grams per cup of cooked beans. Soybeans, and products made from them (tofu, tempeh) are among the best ways to get enough protein from plants.
Most other beans have around 15-16 grams of protein per cup of cooked beans.
Which Bean Has The Least Carbohydrates?
With the most fat and protein, it’s not surprising that soybeans have the fewest carbohydrates. There are just 6.8 grams of net carbohydrates (total minus fiber) per cup of cooked soybeans.
Conversely, Adzuki beans have the most carbohydrates with 57 grams total per cup, and 40.2 net carbohydrates.
Which Beans Are Highest and Lowest in Fiber?
Navy beans are highest in fiber by quite a margin, with 19.1 grams per cup of cooked beans. They are usually used for traditional baked beans, so it’s not surprising that they are most known for causing flatulence.
Fava beans are lowest in fiber, with 9.2 grams per cup, just under soybeans (10.3 g per cup).
Which Bean Has The Most Methionine?
Methionine is the essential amino acid that all beans lack the most. Soybeans have the most methionine, partly thanks to their high overall protein content, but are still relatively low in it.
Which Bean Is Best For Iron?
Soybeans contain 49% of the daily recommended value of iron in one cup of cooked beans, by far the highest of any bean type. Most others hover around the low to mid 20 percentages, and fava beans have the least iron with only 14% of the RDA.
Which Bean Is Highest in Calcium?
While not the best plant-based calcium source, beans do have some calcium. Soybeans have the most calcium, with 18% DV per cup, followed by navy beans at 13% DV.
Which Bean Is Highest in Magnesium?
Soybeans have the most magnesium of any bean, with 37% of the recommended daily value. Both adzuki and black beans have 30% of the RDA for magnesium per cup of cooked beans.
Which Bean Is Highest in Zinc?
Most beans have just over 10% of the RDA for zinc per cup of cooked beans. The big exception is adzuki beans, which have 27% of the DV for zinc.
