6 Healthiest Beans to Add to Your Meals for More Fiber and Protein

Beans, such as black beans, garbanzo beans, and lima beans, are among the healthiest foods you can eat. They’re rich in fiber, protein, magnesium, potassium, and other nutrients that tend to be low in modern-day diets. Regularly enjoying beans as part of a nutritious diet could help improve your diet quality and even lower the risk of common health conditions like heart disease and obesity.

Navy beans—also known as haricot beans, Boston beans, and pea beans—are a rich source of fiber, protein, folate, and many other essential nutrients. Their creamy texture and nutty taste make them a popular addition to soups and stews. Their high protein and fiber content could help support weight loss and reduce blood sugar and blood lipid levels.

Here’s the nutrition breakdown for a one-cup serving of cooked navy beans:

• Calories: 296
• Protein: 19.7 grams (g)
• Carbohydrates: 53.4 g
• Fiber: 13.4 g
• Fat: 1.13 g
• Folate: 162 micrograms (mcg) or 41% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.27 milligrams or 16% of the DV
• Iron: 4.85 mg or 27% of the DV
• Manganese: 0.983 mg or 43% of the DV
• Magnesium: 123 mg or 29% of the DV
• Potassium: 755 mg or 16% of the DV
• Selenium: 15.2 mcg or 28% of the DV
• Zinc: 2.02 mg or 18% of the DV

Black beans are among the most popular beans in the United States, and for good reason. Not only are these beans packed with nutrients, but their mild, earthy taste and soft texture pair well with ingredients like vegetables, grains, and animal proteins. 

Black beans are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, including folate, a B vitamin that’s especially important during pregnancy as it plays a critical role in fetal development. They’re also high in fiber and protein, both of which help you feel satisfied after eating, preventing excess calorie intake.

A one-cup serving of cooked black beans contains:

• Calories: 227
• Protein: 15.2 grams (g)
• Carbohydrates: 40.8 g
• Fiber: 15.2 g
• Fat: <1 g
• Folate: 256 micrograms (mcg) or 64% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Copper: 0.359 mg or 40% of the DV
• Iron: 3.61 mg or 20% of the DV
• Manganese: 0.764 mg or 33% of the DV
• Magnesium: 120 mg or 29% of the DV
• Potassium: 611 mg or 13% of the DV
• Zinc: 1.93 mg or 18% of the DV

Study Highlight: A 2023 study found that the participants who regularly consumed legumes, such as black beans, had significantly less weight gain and leaner waists over 10 years compared to people who didn’t eat or rarely ate legumes.

Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are a popular ingredient in dishes such as curry, hummus, salads, and soups. 

Garbanzo beans are packed with nutrients that may help support weight maintenance, heart health, and blood sugar control, such as protein, fiber, potassium, and magnesium. Potassium and magnesium play important roles in blood pressure regulation, while fiber, protein, and magnesium could help support healthy blood sugar levels.

People who regularly consume garbanzo beans have higher intakes of nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, folate, magnesium, potassium, and iron than non-consumers.

Here’s the nutrition breakdown for a one-cup serving of cooked garbanzo beans:

• Calories: 269
• Protein: 14.5 grams (g)
• Carbohydrates: 44.9 g
• Fiber: 12.5 g
• Fat: 4.25 g
• Folate: 282 micrograms (mcg) or 71% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.228 milligrams or 13% of the DV
• Iron: 4.74 mg or 26% of the DV
• Manganese: 1.69 mg or 73% of the DV
• Magnesium: 78.7 mg or 19% of the DV
• Potassium: 477 mg or 10% of the DV
• Selenium: 6.07 mcg or 11% of the DV
• Zinc: 2.51 mg or 23% of the DV

Kidney beans are commonly used in popular recipes like chili and rice dishes. These slightly sweet, soft beans are loaded with nutrients such as fiber, folate, protein, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. 

Studies show that the starches in kidney beans are highly resistant to digestion, meaning they have a lower impact on blood sugar levels than more rapidly digested carbohydrate sources, like white bread or white pasta. A 2022 study found that the glycemic index of kidney beans ranged from 32.47 to 52.99, making kidney beans a low glycemic index food.

Choosing fiber and protein-rich, complex carbohydrate sources low on the glycemic index, like kidney beans, has been shown to promote healthy blood sugar levels in people with and without diabetes.

A one-cup serving of cooked kidney beans provides:

• Calories: 225
• Protein: 15.3 grams (g)
• Carbohydrates: 40.4 g
• Fiber: 13.1 g
• Fat: <1 g
• Folate: 230 micrograms (mcg) or 58% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.212 milligrams or 12% of the DV
• Vitamin K: 14.9 mcg or 12% of the DV
• Iron: 5.2 mg or 29% of the DV
• Manganese: 0.884 mg or 38% of the DV
• Magnesium: 79.6 mg or 19% of the DV
• Potassium: 713 mg or 15% of the DV
• Selenium: 15.2 mcg or 28% of the DV
• Zinc: 1.89 mg or 17% of the DV

Study Highlight: A 2023 review study found that eating pulses, including kidney beans, led to significant improvements in blood sugar regulation markers such as fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin, and the long-term blood sugar control marker hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) in people with type 2 diabetes.

Pinto beans are the most commonly consumed beans in the U.S. These earthy-tasting beans are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, and are packed with protein. 

They also have the highest fiber content of all the beans on this list, making them a smart choice for gut health. Fiber helps support healthy bowel movements and influences gut bacteria composition and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Bacteria in the large intestine break down the soluble fibers found in pinto beans and release SCFAs, which play essential roles in digestive health. SCFAs have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anticancer, heart-protective, and neuroprotective effects in the body.

Here’s the nutrition breakdown for a one-cup serving of cooked pinto beans:

• Calories: 245
• Protein: 15.4 grams (g)
• Carbohydrates: 44.8 g
• Fiber: 15.4 g
• Fat: 1.11 g
• Folate: 294 micrograms (mcg) or 74% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Thiamin: 0.33 milligrams or 28% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 0.392 mg or 23% of the DV
• Iron: 3.57 mg or 20% of the DV
• Manganese: 0.775 mg or 34% of the DV
• Magnesium: 85.5 mg or 20% of the DV
• Potassium: 746 mg or 16% of the DV
• Selenium: 10.6 mcg or 19% of the DV
• Zinc: 1.68 mg or 15% of the DV

Though they’re not as popular as other beans on this list, lima beans deserve a spot on your plate. They have a mild taste and a creamy texture and are delicious served as a side dish or in pastas and soups.

Lima beans provide a variety of nutrients, including magnesium, potassium, and fiber, all of which are important for heart health. Magnesium and potassium are involved in blood pressure regulation, and fiber helps promote healthy cholesterol levels by decreasing cholesterol absorption in the digestive tract and increasing its excretion.

One cup of cooked lima beans contains:

• Calories: 209
• Protein: 11.6 grams (g)
• Carbohydrates: 40.1 g
• Fiber: 9.01 g
• Fat: <1 g
• Folate: 44.2 micrograms (mcg) or 11% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin C: 17.2 mg or 19% of the DV
• Thiamin: 0.238 mg or 20% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 0.328 mg or 19% of the DV
• Iron: 4.16 mg or 23% of the DV
• Manganese: 2.12 mg or 92% of the DV
• Magnesium: 126 mg or 30% of the DV
• Potassium: 969 mg or 21% of the DV
• Zinc: 1.34 mg or 12% of the DV

Study Highlight: Regularly enjoying beans could help reduce your risk of heart disease. A 2019 review of 28 studies found that, compared to people with the lowest intake levels, people who consumed the most beans had a 9% and 10% reduced risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, respectively.

Though there are several healthy and delicious beans to choose from, some bean-based products, such as baked and refried beans, may be high in added sugar and salt, which should be limited to promote overall health and reduce disease risk.

When purchasing baked or refried beans, opt for products lower in salt and sugar whenever possible, or make your own versions at home using nutritious ingredients.