How many calories are in black beans?
USDA nutrition facts for boiled black beans without salt, per 100 g and per cup, with protein, fiber and the canned-bean sodium caveat.
Black beans are a cheap, filling staple that counts as both a protein and a carbohydrate in a calorie diary. Cooked and drained without salt, they have 132 calories per 100 g, so a full cup (172 g) is about 227 calories. What people get wrong is treating beans as a vegetable: a cup of black beans has about the same calories as a serving of rice, so they belong in the starch and protein part of the plate, not the free-vegetable part.
Calories in black beans per 100 g
According to USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy entry “Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt”), 100 g of black beans contains 132 calories (552 kJ), 8.9 g of protein, 24 g of carbohydrates and 0.5 g of fat.
| Nutrient (per 100 g) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 132 |
| Energy (kilojoules) | 552 kJ |
| Protein | 8.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Fiber | 8.7 g |
| Sugars | 0.3 g |
| Total fat | 0.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 1 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 355 mg |
| Calcium | 27 mg |
| Iron | 2.1 mg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
Calories per serving
Per-100 g numbers are only useful once you know your portion. Typical servings of black beans:
| Serving | Calories | kJ | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (172 g) | 227 | 950 | 15 g | 41 g | 0.9 g |
Macro breakdown
By energy, black beans are about 70% carbohydrate, 26% protein and 4% fat (using 4 kcal per gram of protein and carbohydrate and 9 kcal per gram of fat).
By calories black beans are about 70% carbohydrate and 26% protein, with 8.9 g of protein and 8.7 g of fiber per 100 g and only 0.5 g of fat. Sodium is just 1 mg per 100 g when cooked without salt, which is a sharp contrast with most canned beans, and they contribute 355 mg of potassium and 2.1 mg of iron per 100 g.
How black beans compare with similar foods
| Food (per 100 g) | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kidney beans | 127 | 8.7 g | 23 g | 0.5 g |
| Pinto beans | 143 | 9 g | 26 g | 0.7 g |
| Edamame | 121 | 12 g | 8.9 g | 5.2 g |
| Lentils | 116 | 9 g | 20 g | 0.4 g |
| Chickpeas | 164 | 8.9 g | 27 g | 2.6 g |
Are black beans good for weight loss?
Black beans are one of the more useful foods for losing weight because they are filling out of proportion to their calories. A cup (172 g) is about 227 calories but brings 15.2 g of protein and 15 g of fiber, a combination that slows digestion and keeps you full for hours. A half cup (86 g) at about 114 calories is a sensible portion alongside a lean protein and vegetables, or as the protein itself in a vegetarian bowl. The calorie risk is not the beans but what surrounds them: refried beans cooked in lard, cheese-heavy burritos and large restaurant rice-and-bean plates. Measure the beans, keep the toppings honest, and they do a lot of work for the calories.
How to log black beans in Cal.AI
Scan Food recognizes black beans in a bowl or burrito, but it has to guess the amount under rice and toppings, so use Fix Results to set the portion. A cup is about 172 g (227 calories) and a half cup is about 86 g (114 calories); if you use canned beans, scan the Barcode instead, since canned versions usually carry far more sodium than the 1 mg per 100 g here. The common mistake is logging a burrito bowl as "black beans" and leaving out the rice, cheese and sour cream.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a cup of black beans?
A cup of cooked black beans weighs about 172 g and has about 227 calories, with 15.2 g of protein, 40.8 g of carbohydrate and 0.9 g of fat (USDA). It also provides about 15 g of fiber and 611 mg of potassium. A half cup (86 g) is about 114 calories. Oil, lard, cheese or sauces cooked with the beans are logged separately.
Are black beans a good source of protein?
Yes, for a plant food. Cooked black beans have 8.9 g of protein per 100 g, so a cup gives about 15.2 g, roughly a quarter of its calories. With 15 g of fiber in the same cup, they are more filling than most carbohydrate sides. They are less protein-dense per calorie than meat, fish or tofu, so pair them with another protein if your target is high.
Are canned black beans the same as cooked dry beans?
The calories and macros are close, but the sodium is not. Plain boiled black beans have 1 mg of sodium per 100 g, while canned beans are usually packed in salted liquid and can carry a large share of the 2,300 mg daily guideline per can. Canned beans are not in the data used for this page, so scan the Barcode for the exact product and rinse them well.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt” (FDC ID 173735). FoodData Central
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