Lima Beans: Nutrition, Butter Beans and Cooking Safety

Lima beans, also sold as butter beans, are the large, flat, creamy seeds of the plant Phaseolus lunatus. You can find them fresh or frozen as green “baby” limas, dried as big white beans, and in cans. In USDA data a cup of boiled mature lima beans supplies close to half the Daily Value for fiber and over a quarter of the Daily Value for protein, with plenty of potassium, iron, manganese and copper. There is one safety point most bean guides skip: lima beans naturally contain cyanogenic glycosides, so they are always eaten cooked. Below is lima beans nutrition by form, how they compare with other beans, and a plain answer to the question “are lima beans healthy?”

Peptide Labs does not sell lima beans or lima bean products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What are lima beans and butter beans?

Both names describe the same plant. A 2001 study of processing methods calls the crop “lima (butter) bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.)”, and many shoppers use butter beans for the large, pale, dried type and lima beans for the smaller green kind. In stores you will usually meet:

• Green or immature limas: picked before the seed dries, sold fresh in the pod in some regions and widely frozen.
• Baby lima beans: a smaller, thin-seeded type, sold frozen (green) or dried (pale).
• Large dried limas or butter beans: the classic big white bean with a creamy texture once cooked.
• Canned limas: already cooked; check the label for added salt.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 list lima beans twice: cooked mature or canned limas in the beans, peas and lentils subgroup, and lima beans in the starchy vegetables subgroup, which is where green limas usually land. Our starchy vegetables guide explains that grouping.

Lima beans nutrition: dried, baby, frozen and canned

The table uses the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy database, one cup per entry, with percent Daily Value (%DV) based on FDA reference values. FDC IDs are in brackets.

A few patterns stand out. All forms are very low in fat, under one gram per cup. Dried mature limas, large or baby, carry several times more folate than green or frozen ones. Green limas are the potassium and manganese leaders here, and the USDA entry for boiled immature limas lists 17 milligrams of vitamin C per cup, which dried limas lack. The canned entry is lower in potassium and much higher in sodium, listing 810 milligrams per cup (35% DV) in USDA data; rinsing canned beans or choosing a no-salt-added can helps, and our low-sodium foods guide has more on reading those labels.

Lima beans vs other beans

How do limas stack up against the beans and legumes people usually compare them with? Same database, one cup of each, cooked without salt.

Large limas lead this group on potassium per cup, while lentils, mung beans and edamame are richer in folate. Protein is similar across most of the dried beans, and fiber is high for all of them. See our guides to lentils, chickpeas, black beans, edamame and mung beans, and our roundups of protein-rich foods, potassium sources and high-fiber foods for wider lists.

Are lima beans healthy?

For most people, cooked lima beans are a nutrient-dense food: high in fiber and plant protein, low in fat, and a source of potassium, iron, manganese, copper and, for dried limas, folate. That said, there is little research on lima beans specifically, so claims about lima beans and any particular health outcome go beyond the evidence. Their profile is typical of the bean family, which the Dietary Guidelines count toward both vegetable and protein intake. A few practical points:

• Gas: the NIDDK lists legumes, “a group that includes beans, peas, and lentils”, among foods that may lead to extra gas. Adding beans gradually is a common approach; our gas and bloating guide covers causes and when to see a clinician.
• Potassium: people with kidney disease or on medicines that raise potassium should ask their clinician how high-potassium foods fit their plan.
• Starch: limas are a starchy food, so people watching carbohydrates for medical reasons can read our GLP-1 diet guide for how beans fit a balanced plate, or ask a registered dietitian.
• Allergy: lima beans are not one of the nine major food allergens on US labels, but any food can cause a reaction; hives, swelling or trouble breathing needs urgent care.

Why lima beans must be cooked: cyanogenic glycosides

Lima beans are one of the few common beans that are cyanogenic. A 2020 genetics paper describes Phaseolus lunatus as producing the cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin, while the common bean (kidney, pinto, black and navy beans) is not cyanogenic. These compounds can be broken down by enzymes to release hydrogen cyanide, which in large exposures may cause acute cyanide poisoning, as a 2013 New Zealand food survey notes. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) lists lima beans next to cassava, flaxseed, bamboo shoots and almonds as foods containing these compounds.

• Variety matters: the FSANZ survey, citing the European Food Safety Authority, reports that levels vary widely, from the white American variety at the low end to a black Puerto Rican variety at the high end, so pale white limas sit at the low end of that range.
• Processing reduces them: FSANZ notes that soaking, pressure cooking (autoclaving), toasting and processing into bean paste can significantly reduce cyanide levels. A 2001 lab study found soaking, autoclaving and toasting also eliminated the lectin and trypsin inhibitor in raw lima bean flour.
• Never raw: do not eat raw lima beans or sprout and eat them raw. Soak dried beans, discard the soaking water, and cook until fully tender. Canned limas are already cooked.
• Retail foods tested: the FSANZ survey found the foods it tested were within regulatory limits where such limits exist.

Our lectins guide explains why raw kidney beans are a separate concern, and the flaxseed guide covers another everyday food with cyanogenic glycosides. If someone feels unwell after eating raw or undercooked beans, contact Poison Control or emergency services.

How to cook and use butter beans

• Frozen limas: cook from frozen in simmering water or steam until tender; they work in succotash with corn, soups and grain bowls.
• Dried butter beans: sort out debris, rinse, soak, drain, then simmer in fresh water until creamy all the way through.
• Canned: drain and rinse; mash with olive oil and lemon as a dip, or add to stews near the end.
• Storage: keep dried beans in a cool, dry, sealed container and refrigerate cooked beans promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Mung Beans: Nutrition, Moong Dal and Bean Sprout Safety, Edamame: USDA Nutrition per Cup, Protein, Calories and Benefits, Lectins: What They Are, Which Foods Have Them and What Cooking Does, Fava Beans: Nutrition, Favism and How to Cook Broad Beans.