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Types of beans differ in color, size and nutrient values, and USDA FoodData Central lists more than 20 of them cooked from dry. This guide to the different types of beans ranks 22 boiled varieties from USDA SR Legacy data by protein per cup, with carbohydrate, fiber, potassium and magnesium and the FDA percent Daily Value, explains what the USDA entry names say, and compares canned and home-cooked beans. For how the Dietary Guidelines group beans, peas and lentils, see our legumes list.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- In USDA data, a cup of boiled white beans lists about 17.4 grams of protein and the adzuki type 17.3 grams, the top of this list of 22 types of beans.
- USDA lists three red kidney entries, royal red, California red and plain red, at 16.8, 16.2 and 15.3 grams of protein per cup.
- Per 100 grams in USDA data, the canned red kidney entry, drained, lists about 231 milligrams of sodium, against 2 milligrams for the same bean boiled without salt.
- FDA's Bad Bug Book says as few as four or five raw beans of the red kidney type can trigger symptoms, and that cooking the beans properly destroys the toxin.
Types of beans ranked by protein per cup
The table lists USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries for mature seeds boiled without salt, at the first 1-cup portion USDA gives for each, ranked by protein. The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values of 28 grams for fiber, 4,700 milligrams for potassium and 420 milligrams for magnesium; protein has no %DV here because the FDA labeling rule bases a protein %DV on an amount corrected for protein quality. SR Legacy lists hyacinth, winged and moth beans without a fiber value, so USDA figures for them are not shown.
| Bean (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Calories | Protein | Carbohydrate | Fiber (% DV) | Potassium (% DV) | Magnesium (% DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White beans (175203) | 1 cup (179 g) | 249 | 17.4 g | 44.9 g | 11.3 g (40%) | 1,004 mg (21%) | 113 mg (27%) |
| Adzuki beans (173728) | 1 cup (230 g) | 294 | 17.3 g | 57.0 g | 16.8 g (60%) | 1,224 mg (26%) | 120 mg (28%) |
| Kidney beans, royal red (175197) | 1 cup (177 g) | 218 | 16.8 g | 38.7 g | 16.5 g (59%) | 669 mg (14%) | 74 mg (18%) |
| Cranberry (roman) beans (173736) | 1 cup (177 g) | 241 | 16.5 g | 43.3 g | 15.2 g (54%) | 685 mg (15%) | 88 mg (21%) |
| Yellow beans (173752) | 1 cup (177 g) | 255 | 16.2 g | 44.7 g | 18.4 g (66%) | 575 mg (12%) | 131 mg (31%) |
| Kidney beans, California red (173743) | 1 cup (177 g) | 219 | 16.2 g | 39.7 g | 16.5 g (59%) | 742 mg (16%) | 85 mg (20%) |
| Small white beans (173750) | 1 cup (179 g) | 254 | 16.1 g | 46.2 g | 18.6 g (66%) | 829 mg (18%) | 122 mg (29%) |
| Pinto beans (175200) | 1 cup (171 g) | 245 | 15.4 g | 44.8 g | 15.4 g (55%) | 746 mg (16%) | 86 mg (20%) |
| Kidney beans, red (175194) | 1 cup (177 g) | 225 | 15.3 g | 40.4 g | 13.1 g (47%) | 713 mg (15%) | 80 mg (19%) |
| Pink beans (175198) | 1 cup (169 g) | 252 | 15.3 g | 47.2 g | 9.0 g (32%) | 859 mg (18%) | 110 mg (26%) |
| Black beans (173735) | 1 cup (172 g) | 227 | 15.2 g | 40.8 g | 15.0 g (53%) | 611 mg (13%) | 120 mg (29%) |
| Black turtle beans (175187) | 1 cup (185 g) | 240 | 15.1 g | 45.0 g | 15.4 g (55%) | 801 mg (17%) | 91 mg (22%) |
| Navy beans (173746) | 1 cup (182 g) | 255 | 15.0 g | 47.4 g | 19.1 g (68%) | 708 mg (15%) | 96 mg (23%) |
| Great northern beans (175191) | 1 cup (177 g) | 209 | 14.7 g | 37.3 g | 12.4 g (44%) | 692 mg (15%) | 88 mg (21%) |
| Lima beans, large (174253) | 1 cup (188 g) | 216 | 14.7 g | 39.3 g | 13.2 g (47%) | 955 mg (20%) | 81 mg (19%) |
| Lima beans, baby (172422) | 1 cup (182 g) | 229 | 14.6 g | 42.4 g | 14.0 g (50%) | 730 mg (16%) | 96 mg (23%) |
| Chickpeas (garbanzo) (173757) | 1 cup (164 g) | 269 | 14.5 g | 45.0 g | 12.5 g (45%) | 477 mg (10%) | 79 mg (19%) |
| Mung beans (174257) | 1 cup (202 g) | 212 | 14.2 g | 38.7 g | 15.4 g (55%) | 537 mg (11%) | 97 mg (23%) |
| Yardlong beans (174282) | 1 cup (171 g) | 202 | 14.2 g | 36.1 g | 6.5 g (23%) | 539 mg (11%) | 168 mg (40%) |
| Black-eyed peas (cowpeas) (173759) | 1 cup (171 g) | 198 | 13.2 g | 35.5 g | 11.1 g (40%) | 475 mg (10%) | 91 mg (22%) |
| Fava beans (173753) | 1 cup (170 g) | 187 | 12.9 g | 33.4 g | 9.2 g (33%) | 456 mg (10%) | 73 mg (17%) |
| French beans (173739) | 1 cup (177 g) | 228 | 12.5 g | 42.5 g | 16.6 g (59%) | 655 mg (14%) | 99 mg (24%) |
In USDA data, white beans and adzuki beans top the protein ranking at about 17.3 to 17.4 grams per cup, and the adzuki type lists the most potassium in the table, about 1,224 milligrams. USDA lists the most fiber for navy beans and small white beans, at 19.1 and 18.6 grams per cup. The three red kidney beans entries list 15.3 to 16.8 grams of protein per cup in USDA data, and pinto beans, black beans and black turtle beans sit close together at 15.1 to 15.4 grams. USDA lists yardlong beans at about 168 milligrams of magnesium per cup, 40% of the FDA Daily Value, but with the least fiber in the table.
For other rankings, see our high protein vegetables list, plant protein sources, the high fiber foods guide and the potassium foods list.
What the USDA entry names say about different types of beans
USDA’s SR Legacy descriptions carry other names. The entry for chickpeas also says garbanzo beans and bengal gram, and the common cowpea entry adds blackeyes, crowder and southern, the names behind black-eyed peas. USDA names its fava beans entry Broadbeans, describes the baby lima as thin seeded, and adds roman to the cranberry bean.
| Bean (USDA FDC ID) | USDA SR Legacy description | USDA SR Legacy food group |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas (173757) | Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products |
| Black-eyed peas (173759) | Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products |
| Fava beans (173753) | Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products |
| Baby lima beans (172422) | Lima beans, thin seeded (baby), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products |
| Cranberry beans (173736) | Beans, cranberry (roman), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products |
| Black turtle beans (175187) | Beans, black turtle, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products |
| Green beans (169141) | Beans, snap, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products |
The word mature matters in these USDA names. The French, yellow and yardlong rows in this guide are dry mature seeds, while USDA files green beans, the snap pods, in its vegetables group. The black turtle entry sits next to the plain black bean entry, and USDA keeps separate royal red and California red entries alongside the plain red kidney beans row. See also lima beans, mung beans and great northern beans.
Canned and home-cooked beans in USDA data
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, from USDA and HHS, count beans “cooked from dry or canned” in the beans, peas and lentils subgroup, and SR Legacy also has canned entries. The table compares them per 100 grams, with sodium shown against the FDA Daily Value of 2,300 milligrams.
| Bean form (USDA FDC ID) | Amount | Calories | Protein | Fiber (% DV) | Sodium (% DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kidney, red, boiled without salt (175194) | 100 g | 127 | 8.7 g | 7.4 g (26%) | 2 mg (0%) |
| Kidney, red, canned, drained solids (174285) | 100 g | 124 | 8.0 g | 5.5 g (20%) | 231 mg (10%) |
| Kidney, red, canned, drained and rinsed (175243) | 100 g | 121 | 8.1 g | 6.0 g (21%) | 208 mg (9%) |
| Pinto, boiled without salt (175200) | 100 g | 143 | 9.0 g | 9.0 g (32%) | 1 mg (0%) |
| Pinto, canned, drained solids (174286) | 100 g | 114 | 7.0 g | 5.5 g (20%) | 239 mg (10%) |
| Black, boiled without salt (173735) | 100 g | 132 | 8.9 g | 8.7 g (31%) | 1 mg (0%) |
| Black, canned, low sodium (175238) | 100 g | 91 | 6.0 g | 6.9 g (25%) | 138 mg (6%) |
Per 100 grams in USDA data, the canned red kidney entry lists about 231 milligrams of sodium drained and 208 milligrams drained and rinsed, against 2 milligrams for the bean boiled without salt. The canned pinto entry lists 239 milligrams in USDA data, and the canned black bean entry that USDA describes as low in sodium lists 138 milligrams. The Nutrition Facts label on the can is the figure for that product; see also low sodium foods.
Raw and undercooked beans
FDA’s Bad Bug Book says phytohaemagglutinin, a lectin found in many species of beans, is in highest concentration in red kidney beans, and that “as few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms.” FDA says raw or under-cooked beans of this kind can cause extreme nausea, severe vomiting and diarrhea, that cooking the beans properly destroys the toxin, and that slow cookers do not get hot enough to destroy it. Our legumes guide covers the rest of that FDA chapter.
Gas, allergens and other notes
- Gas: NIDDK lists legumes, a group that includes beans, peas and lentils, among foods that may lead to excess gas in some people; see our guide to gas.
- Allergens: FDA lists soybeans and peanuts among the nine major food allergens; our sibling guide to types of nuts covers the peanut.
- Values vary: USDA SR Legacy figures are averages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different types of beans?
USDA SR Legacy lists more than 20 cooked bean entries, from black, pinto, navy and red kidney types to adzuki, mung, lima, fava and yardlong beans.
Which beans list the most protein per cup?
In USDA data, boiled white beans list about 17.4 grams per cup and the adzuki type 17.3 grams, with the royal red kidney type at 16.8 grams.
How do canned beans compare with beans boiled at home?
Per 100 grams in USDA data, the canned entries list more sodium than beans boiled without salt; the canned red kidney entry, drained, lists about 231 milligrams against 2 milligrams. The Nutrition Facts label on a can gives the figure for that product.
Is a chickpea a bean?
The USDA SR Legacy entry for the chickpea also gives the names garbanzo bean and bengal gram, and the Dietary Guidelines list chickpeas with dried peas in the beans, peas and lentils subgroup.
Why do dried beans need thorough cooking?
FDA’s Bad Bug Book says raw or under-cooked beans of the red kidney type contain a lectin that can cause extreme nausea, severe vomiting and diarrhea, and that cooking the beans properly destroys the toxin.
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 health condition. 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: Types of Nuts: A List of Nuts With USDA Values per Ounce, Legumes List: What Are Legumes, With a USDA Nutrient Table, Black Beans: USDA Nutrition per Cup, Protein, Fiber and Canned vs Dried, Chickpeas: USDA Nutrition, Protein, Fiber and Canned vs Dried, Lentils vs Beans: USDA Nutrition Values Side by Side.