When faced with the choice of cooking with dry beans or canned beans, what’s the best option for home cooks? The answer depends on many factors, including cost, convenience, and control.
Cost: If you want to save money, cook with dry beans.
Dry beans cost less per serving than canned beans. For example, a one pound bag of dry pinto beans costs, on average, $1.79 and will make 12-½ cup servings of cooked beans whereas a 15 oz. can of national brand pinto beans costs $1.69, a store brand can costs $1.19, and each provides 3.5-½ cup servings. This means that a serving of pinto beans made from dry beans costs just $0.15 while a serving of store brand canned pinto beans costs $0.34 and the national brand costs $0.48. A family of four that eats beans once a week could save nearly $80 per year by choosing dry beans versus a national brand of canned beans.
| Type of Bean | Cost Per Serving* |
|---|
| Dry Pinto Beans | $0.15 |
| Canned Pinto Beans (store brand) | $0.34 |
| Canned Pinto Beans (national brand) | $0.48 |
*Prices based on a supermarket price review conducted in November 2015.
Convenience: If you want to save time, cook with canned beans.
While many people will find the cost savings of dry beans very appealing, they won’t necessarily like the time and effort it takes to cook with dry beans. It can take 3 to 24 hours—depending on soaking and cooking method—to sort, rinse, soak, and cook dry beans before you are ready to add them to a recipe whereas cooking with canned beans is as easy as opening the can. If you value your time more than your money, using canned beans is the better option. With that said, you can also cook larger batches of dry beans, and then freeze for use in dishes like soups, stews, and chili thereby providing both the cost savings of dry beans and the convenience of a ready-to-use canned ingredient.
Control: If you want less sodium, cook with dry beans.
A third issue to consider is the control you have when you start with dry beans, specifically over the amount of sodium in the final dish. A ½ cup serving of pinto beans cooked from dry beans with no added salt is virtually sodium free while a ½ cup serving of canned pinto beans contains approximately 200 milligrams of sodium. You can drain and rinse canned beans to remove about 40 percent of the sodium. You can also buy lower sodium versions of many canned bean products. But if you want to more carefully control the sodium in the final dish, you’re better off starting with dry beans. Finally, keep in mind that when cooking dry beans it’s best to not add salt or other ingredients that contain sodium until the beans are soft and fully cooked. The sodium can affect the beans’ ability to fully cook and soften.
FAQs
If you value your time more than your money, using canned beans is the better option. Keep in mind, you can also cook larger batches of dry beans, and then freeze to use in soups, stews, and chili which offers both the cost savings of dry beans and the convenience of a ready-to-use canned ingredient.
Is it better to eat dry beans or canned beans? ›
Ultimately though, if you look through all the literature, here is what it boils down to: Despite slight differences, most studies agree that both home-cooked dry beans and canned beans are very healthful choices.
How much dry beans equals 2 cans? ›
Because dried beans double in weight when cooked, you'll need the halve the amount you use in recipes with canned beans. So 4.5 ounces (or 128 grams) of dried beans should be equivalent to one can; 9 ounces (or 225 grams) of dried beans to two cans and so on.
Is it worth buying dried beans? ›
It's not just their versatility that makes dried beans shine in healthy meals — it's their nutrition benefits. Dried beans are packed with protein, zinc and iron. They're also high in soluble and fermentable fiber.
Are jarred beans better than canned? ›
Jarred beans are quite a close second in terms of quality, and leagues ahead on the convenience scale. Pop the lid and go. Then the gulf between jarred beans and canned is pretty wide - if you've never tried them, it's quite hard to impress how much better they are.
What happens if you don't rinse canned beans? ›
"If you rinse your beans thoroughly, you will have a consistently flavored product, but if you do not rinse them, different amounts of salt will remain in the dish each time you cook it, and it will be hard to cook consistently," he says.
Is it OK to eat canned beans everyday? ›
Eating a few servings of beans a day can help you reach your recommended daily fiber intake of 21 to 25 grams for women and 30 to 38 grams for men. Beans are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat.
What is the healthiest dried bean? ›
Some of the healthiest beans to consume include:
- Black beans: Often known as turtle beans, black beans are inexpensive and widely available in supermarkets. ...
- Kidney beans: ...
- Lima beans: ...
- Soybeans: ...
- Chickpeas: ...
- Pinto beans: ...
- Navy beans:
Indeed, eating beans is associated with the prevention of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Also, beans can improve gut health. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends making foods like beans part of your usual daily diet.
Can you eat too many dried beans? ›
The most common side effects of eating beans are gas and intestinal discomfort. These are not dangerous but can be unpleasant and even painful for some people. When a person adds beans to their diet, they should increase the amount gradually to give their gut time to adjust.
One can of canned beans can contain up to 25% of the recommended daily intake of salt (570 mg). Canned beans are safe to eat and provide many health benefits. Nevertheless, there is a low risk that canned foods may be a source of excess salt, nitrates, nitrites, and heavy metals that may pose human health risks.
What are the healthiest canned beans to buy? ›
- Chickpeas. Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are a great source of fiber and protein. ...
- Lentils. Lentils are a great source of vegetarian protein and can be a good addition to soups and stews. ...
- Peas. Peas are also a type of legume. ...
- Kidney beans. ...
- Black beans. ...
- Soybeans. ...
- Pinto beans. ...
- Navy beans.
Beans in the can are already well cooked--they are essentially pressure cooked as part of the canning process. While only a speculation, it is highly likely that they are now fragile and bringing them to a full boil would mar their appearance--fewer whole beans--from the agitation.
Do dried beans lose nutrients? ›
Dried beans stored too long will degrade in the following ways: lose their nutritional benefits over time. take longer to cook. become tougher and less creamy in texture than fresher beans.
Is it better to eat beans raw or cooked? ›
In summary, the safest way to eat green beans is usually cooked, but green beans can be eaten raw as well. Just be sure to wash them under running water before using them, as you would with any other produce. And because green beans contain lectins, eating them raw may result in tummy troubles.
Are dried beans less gassy than canned beans? ›
And if you're really concerned, opt for canned beans over dried ones, since the canning process breaks down some of the gas-causing carbohydrates, making them easier to digest.
