Health & Nutrition

Beans are naturally low in total fat, contain no saturated fat or cholesterol, and provide important nutrients such as fiber, protein, calcium, iron, folic acid and potassium. Beans actually have more fiber than most whole grain foods.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults consume 3 cups of beans a week, yet the average weekly adult intake is less than one cup.

Beans are the only food that fits into two groups on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid: vegetable and protein. One half-cup serving of cooked dry beans counts as one, one-ounce serving of vegetables in the vegetable group.

  • Three of the top five antioxidant-rich foods studied were beans.
  • Red Kidney Beans (1/2 cup) have 1.5 times the antioxidants of Blueberries (cultivated, 1 cup)
  • S&W Black Beans have more dietary fiber per cup than 5 slices of whole grain bread
  • S&W Garbanzo Beans have more than 50% of the RDA of Folic Acid per cup, and are naturally cholesterol free
  • S&W Kidney Beans contain 22% of protein, compared to beef, which contains only 18% and eggs, which contain 13%
  • S&W Kidney Beans have more protein per cup than 2 ounces of lean ground beef